In brief: UK pension pool seeks timberland impact funds

There is growing interest from investors for forestry-related impact strategies. The latest example is The Access Pool, a UK pension pool on the hunt for timberland impact investment managers, according to a press release. The Access Pool has £300 million ($380 million; €349 million) to invest across two strategies: global timberland core and global timberland impact.

The RFP does not specify a type of impact or fund strategy, but New Private Markets readers will be familiar with a number of nature-based carbon sequestration funds in market that may fit the bill. Some examples:

• Mirova has launched its second emerging markets-focused natural capital debt fund, targeting €350 million.
• Stafford Capital Partners is targeting $1 billion for its Carbon Offset Opportunity Fund.
• Climate Asset Management, a joint venture between HSBC and Pollination, is raising a $1 billion-target fund that will sell carbon credits to generate returns, and a $600 million-target fund that will distribute carbon credits to its investors (mainly corporates) to sell or redeem towards their own decarbonisation commitments.
• Manulife’s Forest Climate Fund, with a $500 million target, generates carbon credits through natural sequestration.