EnTrade and Arup Partner to Scale Up Nationwide Nature Investment Market

EnTrade, the UK's foremost nature recovery marketplace, has partnered with global engineering and sustainability consultancy Arup to scale its environmental investment model nationwide. This joint venture, backed by EnTrade’s parent company, YTL-UK Group, aims to accelerate private funding for nature restoration projects and replicate the success of its Bristol Avon and Somerset Catchment Markets.

The pilot schemes have already driven tangible environmental benefits, with 94 hectares of nature-based initiatives established and £1.3 million in private investment secured. By facilitating corporate funding for water quality improvement, biodiversity restoration, and carbon reduction, EnTrade helps businesses meet environmental commitments while enabling farmers and landowners to generate income from sustainable projects.

The partnership, officially launched in Bristol with support from MP Kerry McCarthy, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust CEO Joanna Lewis, and environmentalist Ben Goldsmith, comes at a critical time for property developers. Under new regulations, developers must demonstrate a minimum of 10% net biodiversity gain to secure planning approval. EnTrade provides a streamlined solution, allowing companies to purchase certified biodiversity credits, as seen in a recent deal that enabled Abbey Manor Group to advance a 100-home project near Yeovil.

Expanding environmental markets is crucial, as the UK ranks among the world’s most nature-depleted nations and faces a £44 billion annual shortfall in nature financing. To address this, the EnTrade-Arup collaboration is launching an integrated online marketplace, simplifying transactions for certified environmental services such as nutrient reduction and biodiversity credits.

The initiative, set to launch at least two new regional nature markets in 2025, invites local planning authorities to collaborate, fostering regional investment in nature restoration and strengthening the UK’s environmental resilience.

EnTrade Managing Director Guy Thompson said, “Nature is in crisis, and we need a fundamental re-think on how we fund nature recovery. EnTrade has been at the forefront of thinking about how well-designed and regulated markets can efficiently deliver verified environmental improvements.”

Vikki Williams, Digital Water Leader, Arup, said, “Our partnership with EnTrade and YTL has come about through our shared ambition to accelerate green economic growth and infrastructure development. We are proud to bring the digital and market design expertise required to build an online marketplace that will underpin EnTrade’s role as a high-integrity market operator.’’