5 Changes in Forest Investment in the Past 5 Years

What’s changed in forest investment – and how I’m helping teams raise and deploy capital faster

As the calendar turned to 2026, I quietly crossed the five-year mark of running The ForestLink. Yes, that was nearly three months ago and spring is now upon us but, well, I’ve been busy. Part of what’s been keeping me occupied has been reflecting on these past five years.  

5 Changes in Forest Investment in the Past 5 Years

Over the past five years I’ve had a front-row seat to see how forest investment has evolved — advising asset managers, nature-based solutions (NbS) developers, and others trying to move capital into forests while meeting rising investor expectations.

Financial rigor in how we design and implement forest investment strategies remains the same – yet demand for other forest benefits is increasing and it’s not just sustainability word soup that investors are after – they want revenue diversification and credible accounting.

In just a few years we’ve seen:

1. The timberland asset class transitioning (or rebranding) into a broader natural capital asset class,
2. EU SFDR and the EU Taxonomy pushing investors and managers toward more explicit sustainability objectives,
3. The “green recovery”, net-zero movements and CSRD driving corporate interest in getting forests onto their balance sheets,
4. The media campaign that reshaped forest carbon strategies and gave standard-setters a much-needed wakeup call on integrity,
5. Growing interest in biodiversity markets without a proven model that investors can rely on.

Meanwhile, new managers, new funds and new developers are entering the market, large financial institutions are acquiring forestry investment firms, and more projects are seeking capital.

But the capital itself hasn’t grown at the same pace.

Filling the Gaps to Raise Funds Faster

After working with many teams designing new strategies, I’ve noticed a few patterns that consistently slow progress in this tough and competitive fundraising environment.

A disconnect between financial and impact objectives

Many strategies aim to deliver both. But internally, the investment logic and the sustainability narrative are often developed separately. A disjointed approach confuses investors and has them wondering what your priorities are.

Investors notice and credibility and trust are undermined.

The missing link between ambition and implementation

A strategy may promise strong sustainability or impact outcomes (financial and otherwise), but the internal systems, policies and investment processes required to deliver them are not yet in place.

This often becomes visible during investor due diligence and can slow fundraising.

Missing competencies during the critical early stages

Many new asset managers (or merely new strategies), and NbS developers need new competencies to fully form (and sell) their strategy – but they’re not yet at the stage where it makes sense for a full-time hire.

The hamster wheel keeps spinning with limited resources, but without key expertise – strategies stall.

Raise and Deploy Capital to Forests Faster

Seeing these challenges repeatedly has clarified where teams most often benefit from outside support. Over time, this has shaped how I structure my work with clients.

Today, my services focus on three moments where forest investment teams typically need support:

1. Getting your strategy investment-ready

Clarifying your strategy, aligning your team around financial and impact objectives, and building an investment narrative that stands up to investor scrutiny.

2. Building the infrastructure to move capital

Developing the sustainability frameworks, systems, due-diligence processes, reporting tools and implementation guidance investors expect — so your strategy holds up in execution.

3. Filling senior gaps without full-time overhead

Providing fractional leadership in sustainability or business development so your team has the strategic expertise it needs while growing.

You can explore the updated services here:

See how I help asset managers and NbS developers mobilize capital to forest investment

My goal remains the same as it was five years ago:
To help move capital to profitable and impactful forest investments.

What has evolved over time is my understanding of where I can be most useful in helping teams get there.

If you’re currently shaping a strategy, preparing for investor conversations, or trying to strengthen the systems investors need in order to move forward, the new service structure should make it easier to see where I can help.

You can explore the details here:

Thank you for being part of the journey over these past five years, and if you’re new here – welcome!