Insights
Growing the Natural Capital Investment Market
April 2025
Despite having major industries engaged with natural capital value chains such as agriculture, fisheries and forestry, there are limited impact investment products in Canada that aim to conserve and regenerate nature. To change this situation and preserve Canada’s abundant natural capital, we worked with Nature Investment Hub to solicit proposals for creative product concepts that could use our support. We are pleased to have granted funding to two innovative organizations: Rural Routes to Climate Solutions and Kwaxala, a first step for us towards filling the significant funding gap in nature-based solutions in Canada. The goal is to support both projects in refining and advancing their ideas over the next twelve months while helping them become investment ready.
Investing in natural capital initiatives is a strategic decision to foster long-term economic resilience for marginalized communities and prioritize the protection and sustainable use of natural ecosystems to ensure a better future for generations to come. Supporting organizations that are operating in natural capital enables them to meet essential needs, attract greater capital flows and make these opportunities more investable. The repeatability and scalability of these initiatives will support lasting impact, driving meaningful change to the Canadian natural capital market.
Our investment enables Rural Routes to Climate Solutions — a nonprofit that helps rural communities adopt tailored regenerative agriculture climate solutions — to test the feasibility of scaling its Steward Ownership model in Alberta’s agriculture sector and beyond. In a sector that is chronically underinvested, this model brings together agricultural stakeholders to contribute land management expertise, provide capital for land acquisition and ensure ecological oversight and verification. This results in building resilience against rising land costs, supply chain disruptions, infrastructure gaps and market volatility. It would also support compliance with environmental regulations and help with land degradation
“The support we are receiving from Realize Capital Partners to explore the feasibility and viability of a brand-new investment product that encourages collaboration between investors and other stakeholders with shared interests is meeting a critical need for our organization that likely could not be met through typical philanthropic channels. Their innovative and forward thinking on how to address many of the challenges we face when it comes to maintaining healthy agricultural landscapes and healthy ecosystems is appreciated and commendable”
Further west, we’re supporting Kwaxala, an Indigenous-led and majority-owned regenerative forestry cooperative created by Kwiakah First Nation near Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Our contribution funds legal and financial advisory services for the securitization of Living Forest Shares, an innovative investable product designed to protect at-risk forests and support the generation of stewardship revenue for First Nations communities by selling carbon offsets for them at premium prices. The grant will also expand Kwaxala’s Living Forest portfolio. By scaling old growth forest conservation and embedding Indigenous ownership and stewardship, Kwaxala’s investment strategy aims to create lasting economic sovereignty for historically marginalized First Nations communities. Our investment in Kwaxala helps close the funding gap in natural capital which is crucial to preserving Canada’s forests and to empowering Indigenous communities, which play a vital role in doing so.
“We are extremely grateful for the support Kwaxala has received from Realize Capital Partners. We founded Kwaxala with the vision of enabling investment directly into threatened forest areas in equitable long-term partnership with First Nation communities like our own. Our model allows mindful investors to support the permanent protection of these keystone ecosystems whilst simultaneously recognising and supporting Indigenous sovereignty. Realize Capital Partners recognition and support of our initiative is helping us make that hopeful future a reality for both investors and First Nations in BC and beyond.”