Unlocking Nature Credits: A landowners-centered approach

Nature credits are emerging as a new voluntary market-based instrument to incentivize and reward nature-positive actions. At the heart of these credits lies the land, which supports essential ecosystem services-such as biodiversity, water retention, and carbon sequestration-that must be preserved for nature credits to hold real value. For far too long, these vital services have been overlooked and undervalued in economic terms, reflecting a classic market failure. Nature credits provide a transformative solution by assigning concrete value to these previously unmonetized natural assets. By integrating land-based ecosystem services into financial markets, nature credits have the potential to complement existing financial tools and sustainability initiatives, enhancing both environmental and economic resilience. In this way, the market can finally play its part in promoting long-term sustainable development and biodiversity conservation.