Upscaling Private Investment in Nature Based Solutions & Water

Upscaling private investment in Nature-Based Solutions & Water

Full Program + speakers London UK event on NBS, Water and Finance

Date: Thursday 9th of October 2025

Location: Hilton Syon Park London Hotel (eco-certified), Park Road London Brentford TW8 8JF United Kingdom

Time: 13.00 – 17.00h, delegates welcomed from noon (12.00h) with drinks & small lunch.

Dinner: 17:45 dinner directly following the event paid for by the organizers

Excursion: Friday 10th of October 2025 morning from 9:00am till 13:00pm. Crane river citizen science. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/upscaling-private-investment-in-nature-based-solutions-water-tickets-1369544798359

Moderators for the day: Peter Philipsen (Nature At Work) and Paul Leonard

· Peter Philipsen – on behalf of the Dutch Nature-inclusive Policy Collective

· Paul Leonard - on behalf of the TRFCC / EA NFM/ TLS.

Host Organizations · The Dutch Nature-inclusive Policy Collective (CNi, Ambassador of the CNi, appointed by Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Nature (Dutch DEFRA). · Thames Regional Flood & Coastal Committee (TRFCC) – Paula Hewitt, Chair of the TRFCC appointed by DEFRA & Paul Leonard.

· Environment Agency Natural Flood Management Team (EA NFM) – Jon Hollis (EA lead on NFM and Matt Butcher (Catchment Manager NFM EA Essex)

Goal: Collaboration / knowledge exchange between UK and the NLs (EU) on financing various NBS projects at the landscape and watershed level. Working towards Public-private partnerships, opening new international markets for NBS, leading to more investment in NBS.

Key words: NBS, water & finance; valuing Water; nature market mechanisms, biodiversity net gain (BNG), upscaling private investment, nature restoration.

13.00 Intro, program & goal (15 min)

· Intro, program & goal by hosts Peter Philipsen and Paul Leonard

· What led up to the event and what are perceived next steps?

1) First meeting TLS 19 September 2024 -> spring tide at Syon. Thames Landscape Strategy (TLS)– Jason Debney Sir David Attenborough helps celebrate 30 years of Thames conservation | Kew Society).

2) First international nature-inclusive event on BNG at Spains Hall Finchingfield 8 november 2024.

3) RoundtheTable with DEFRA UK and delegates from the NLs following Report on Nature Finance in the United Kingdom - areas for potential exchange and collaboration with the NLs on 2 juli 2025.

4) BNG event Triodos Zeist 8 juli 2025, introducing BNG to the Netherlands (see video). Nature Inclusive Water is “How to combine our water challenges (too little, too much, too dirty) with Nature restoration and Climate adaptation.

Outlook 2026: Joint event in Brussels on private investments (BNG + nature credits) for large-scale NBS projects in the context of EU Water, Nature Restoration and Climate Strategy (see EU Climate and Biodiversity Nexus Report).

13.15 Keynotes

1. Valuing water, why is this important? Henk Ovink, executive director of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water (15min) Henk is going to establish why it is important that we start valuing water as a common good/ ecosystem service to our economy. The need for restoring the hydrological cycle & green water (15min)

2. Developments in NBS and NFM in the UK (15 min). Paula Hewitt. Chair TRFCC/ Jon Holllis (EA lead on NFM). NFM Festival and Flood and coastal erosion funding reform - GOV.UK , but also Expanding the role of the private sector in nature recovery - GOV.UK investments in drinking water basins and water infrastructure) £104bn investment plan | Water UK

Introducing the Thames Landscape Strategy (James Debney).

3. What is the role of BNG and the financial sector? Annelisa Grigg (Global Balance) and Richard O’Brien, Senior Corporate Finance Manager, Triodos bank UK (15 min)

a. Scaling nature finance-lessons learned and opportunities for collaboration between the UK and Netherlands. Annelisa will touch on BNG and present highlights from the London Dutch Embassy's Report on Nature Finance in the United Kingdom - areas for potential exchange.

b. Presenting Triodos Banks’ pledge to invest 500 million in NBS projects. Lead by NLs-UK Triodos bank. Firsty knowledge exchange event, introducing BNG to the NLs at Triodos Zeist the NLs, July 8th 2025 Possibly including Dutch rep.Triodos Bank commits to financing €500 million in NBS.

4. Intermezzo with 2 pitches about benchmark projects to showcase that Private investment in NBS projects in combination with public funds is possible at the regional /landscape level (15min) a. Wendling beck and the Norfolk Water Fund. Rob Cunningham. TNC.

b. Placebased investment for NBS Fruitdelta Rivierenland. Dennis Kerhoven, Yes and More.

5. Insurers – Presenting Aviva’s call for a sectoral approach to nature-positive economy. Thomas Viegas – Aviva Insurance company (15min) Thomas will highlight the role of insurers and the need for sectoral pathways to a Nature positive economy. Nature-Positive Transition Pathways for the UK (15 min)

6. The Dutch Nature inclusive Collective (NiC), a governance structure promoting Public-Private partnerships and sectoral pathways to a Nature-positive economy in 10 domains, Jannemarie de Jonge, ambassador Dutch NiC (15min). How to effectively engage the private sector towards a Nature-positive economy and society as a government?

14.45 Panel discussion

Moderated by Wim Drossaert (ceo Dunea Water company)

Paula Hewitt (TRFCC), Jannemarie de Jonge (CNi), Thomas Viegas (Aviva), Koos Biesmeijer (ceo Naturalis Biodiversity Center), Richard Marshall (ceo Great Yellow).

· Should the Water sector focus on its own challenges or go beyond (including Nature restoration and wider societal benefits). If yes,why and how?

· What goverance and policies are needed (combi sectoral pathways GFI and governance CNi?), what is needed to de-risk NBS projects and what new nature market mechanisms like BNG can be used to scale private investment in NBS?

· What opportunities might the “Biodiversity Net Gain policy for Infrastructural projects” offer Water & Infra sector and the wider economy?

· Could Biodiversity Net Gain be applied to the NLs (Koos Biesmeijer)?

15.15 TEA

15.30 Breakout sessions:

1. Policy, Research & Development. Current state of BNG in NBS projects in the UK, Developments on BNG in the NLs. Opportunities for knowledge exchange and public-private partnerships and icon NBS projects. Moderated by Peter Philipsen, domain lead Water Nature-inclusive Collective. Key icon NBS projects presentations (10min):

a. Wendling Beck & Norfolk Water Fund (Glenn Anderson) Could lessons be applied to various counties / provinces at regional level in the NLs?

b. Climate Buffer IJsselmeer (PWN, Peter Philipsen). NBS and finance in the drinking water process. Could lessons from this case be scaled and applied in the UK (next to necessary infrastructural (ie grey) solutions)?

c. Nature-based Solutions & Natural capital Landscape Recovery projects by Atkins, ie Evenlode (Laura Liddaman, Atkins).

Panel review: Peter Philipsen.

2. Finance. What is the role of BNG, the financial sector and new nature market mechanisms? Opportunities for knowledge exchange. Triodos Bank, Rabobank, Aviva, ASR and other partners. Moderated by Daan Groot, domain lead Financial Sector Dutch Nature-inclusive Policy Collective and Caroline van Leenders, Program Manager Nature Finance Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO. Key icon NBS projects:

d. The river Wyre and Scotland woodland and peatland restoration Oxygen conservation (Richard O’Brien, Triodos).

e. Placebased regional partnerships NLs for private investment in NBS. Amsterdam and Waterboard Rivierenland Fruit Motor (Dennis Kerkhoven, Yes and More)

f. Highlighting UK LENs projects and potential for applying knowledge and experience gained in the NL's (Will Stephens, LENs Director, 3Keel Group)

Panel review: Daan Groot

3. Nature-Based Solution matching UK-NLs icon projects. Presenting several icon NBS projects with potential for private investment. Each project has a 10 minutes pitch and 10 min joint discussion allocated. What are key lessons learned for upscaling private investment in NBS & Water projects? Moderated by Jeroen van Herk, domain lead Water Nature-inclusive Collective.

URBAN

g. Greater Thames Landscape Strategy. TLS Kew to Teddington (Jason Debney) and Paul Leonard (10 min)

h. Tidal parks Rotterdam (eg Island Brienenoord). (Arjan Berkhuijsen, NL2120, NBS in Urban settings similar to the TLS; 10 min

Discussion

RURAL

i. Natural Flood Management in Essex Environment Agency Catchment Manager.Essex county council Water Strategy. (Matt Butcher, EA Essex).

Spains Hall NFM by beavers and Biodiversity Net Gain by Matt Butcher Essex Environment Agency, Natural Flood Management.

j. Nature based solutions for flood risk management in the Netherlands.Regional Water authority Limburg landscape approach to brook restoration and Ketel Delta – large scale development for storm risks by Jeroen van Herk.

Discussion

Panel review: Jeroen van Herk

16.30 Plenary: feedback and next steps (15 min)

· Feedback breakout sessions

· Key takeaways

· Next steps?

17.00 Wrap up and follow up actions (Peter and Paul) Drinks and networking

17:45 -20.00 Three course Dinner at Hilton Syon Park Hotel, further networking:

Celebrating together the opportunities for knowledge exchange between the UK and the NLs.

Excursion Friday morning 10 october 2025 (for those who stay over or want to join)

Time: 9.00-13.00

Crane River Citizen science project. Water Info Hub: River Crane citizen science Citizen Crane - Crane Valley Partnership.

Do you wish to attend? This event is for invitees only! It is only the combination of a ticket followed by an invitee letter by email from us that will give you access to the event. How it works: 1) To begin with Book a ticket here first on eventbrite. 2)Once we get your booking through here with your email details, you will receive an email within 7 working days from us with further information and confirmation of your invitation to attend. Any questions or problems email us at: nataly@natureatwork.net

Water is our future. To meet the water-related challenges of climate change — from floods to droughts to pollution — we urgently need resilient, large-scale green and blue infrastructure. Upscaling Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is key in this. But can we truly bridge the gap from traditional financial systems, spatial policies and publicly funded water and flood management to private investment in large-scale nature-based solutions serving multiple ecosystem benefits? How can we look at the value of water differently? How can we apply takeaways from the IPBES nexus assessment to help integrate investments in NbS for Climate and Biodiversity to restore the hydrological cycle? What is the role of green water in this?

Join us for an international exchange between The UK and The Netherlands, that brings together policy makers, the financial sector, and nature, water and climate experts to co-create scalable and investable Nature-based Solutions- projects for a sustainable future.

Be part of a groundbreaking community that’s reshaping the future of finance, water, climate adaptation and nature restoration. Let’s bridge the gap — together.