50 Investible Opportunities for a New Nature Economy Report Primer 2026

Together, these opportunities reflect a rapidly maturing market with diverse risk-return profiles, capital intensity, technological readiness and scalability. Most of these opportunities also deliver co-benefits for climate mitigation and social outcomes. The portfolio includes initiatives such as: Precision farming techniques: these integrate advanced technologies and data-driven processes in agriculture to optimize land use, reduce water consumption and minimize use of potentially harmful and costly inputs – such as fertilizers and pesticides. Farmers who adopt these methods are expected to gain substantial financial benefits over time, with some studies suggesting profit increases as high as 120%.6  Battery recycling: this refers to the process of recovering valuable metals from end-of-life batteries, such as lithium-ion. The shift towards electric and battery-powered technologies across various sectors and rising demand for critical materials used in production is resulting in a growing need for effective recycling solutions – with an estimated market potential of $40-50 billion by the end of 2030.7 The recycling process enhances resource efficiency and prevents soil and water contamination risks from toxic components and improper disposal. Data centre water management practices: these focus on reducing water consumption and improving the efficiency of cooling systems to meet rising resource demands. With global capital expenditure on data centres projected to surpass $1 trillion by 2029,8 driven by rapid growth in digitalization and AI services, water usage in this sector is climbing significantly. For example, global AI-related demand alone is expected to lead to water withdrawals of between 1.1 and 1.7 trillion gallons in 2027 – equivalent to roughly four to six times the total annual water use of Denmark.9 50 Investible Opportunities for a New Nature Economy 5