Facilitating local natural capital investment: literature review.
Abstract
The objective of this literature review is to develop a detailed understanding of natural capital investment initiatives in the UK and overseas and identify key learnings for the application of similar approaches in a Scottish context. These learnings will inform the Facilitating Local Natural Capital Investment Initiative and any future initiatives seeking to support investment into Scotland's natural capital. Section 2 of this review sets out the broader context of natural capital investment and the current extent and condition of Scotland's natural capital assets. Section 3 identifies the main current revenue-generating opportunities for natural capital projects in Scotland. Section 4 describes a range of natural capital financing products and vehicles designed to address these revenue generation opportunities that are potentially relevant for Scotland. Section 5 provides a framework for the assessment of natural capital investment opportunities and a summary of the market infrastructure that can help accelerate the development of fledgling natural capital investment markets. Finally, Section 6 evaluates all findings and provides some recommendations for the Initiative.