50 Investible Opportunities for a New Nature Economy Report Primer 2026

Mining Post-mining transition activities Comprehensive process of rehabilitating and restoring ecosystems following the closure of mining operations Effective activities significantly reduce pollution, such as soil and water contaminationCapEx reductionCompliance cost reduction and asset protection for mining companies Tailings re-mining for metal recovery Extracts valuable metals from mine waste by using microbes or biotechnological approaches Enhances recovery of metals from low-grade ores and existing waste streamsRevenue increaseNew revenue streams for mining companies from waste materials Technology Data centre water management Technologies which minimize water usage and maximize efficiency in cooling systems Reduces stress on local water resourcesOpEx reductionReduces water and energy consumption for data centre operators Waste management Sewage nutrient recovery Technologies which capture materials from municipal or industrial wastewater and turn them into fertilizer inputs Material recovery displaces primary fertilizer productionRevenue increaseRevenue generated from sale of recovered fertilizer by wastewater treatment firms Cross-sectoral Wastewater treatment technology Enables industrial facilities to efficiently treat wastewater onsite, recovering water and achieving significant cost savings Onsite systems reduce freshwater abstraction, easing pressures in stressed basinsOpEx reductionTreats wastewater onsite instead of by third parties and can recover materialsScalable opportunities for nature (continued) FIGURE 4 Scalable opportunities Land use Ocean use Freshwater use Resource use Pollution Low Moderate High Opportunity description Primary nature impact Co-benefits Primary financial impact Transformative impact Climate Social Tech maturityCapital intensity Scalability Agriculture, food and forestry Alternative proteins Range of sustainable food sources, including plant, fermentation, cell, insect and algae-based proteins Requires less land than traditional livestock farmingRevenue increaseHigh-growth market for alternative protein manufacturers Biostimulants Natural or biologically derived products which enhance plant growth, soil health and resilience to stress Enhanced nutrient uptake reduces need for synthetic inputsRevenue increaseRevenue potential for manufacturers from farmers and agribusinesses Innovative irrigation techniques Systems designed to deliver water directly to plant roots, reducing wastage and improving efficiency Reduces water withdrawals from aquifers, rivers and lakesRevenue increaseRevenue potential for equipment providers as adoption of practices grows Seaweed cultivation and harvest Sustainable cultivation of marine algae for food, feed, biofuels and ecosystem restoration Enhances marine biodiversity and restoration of habitatsRevenue increaseGrowing demand for seaweed-derived products for producersEmerging innovations for nature FIGURE 5 Emerging innovations Land use Ocean use Freshwater use Resource use Pollution Low Moderate High Opportunity description Primary nature impact Co-benefits Primary financial impact Transformative impact Climate Social Tech maturityCapital intensity Scalability 50 Investible Opportunities for a New Nature Economy 11