Key Takeaways
- • New Forests has launched its Global Landscape Opportunities (GLO) strategy, a Luxembourg-domiciled fund targeting institutional investors with exposure to natural capital assets across North America, Europe, Australia-New Zealand, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
- • The GLO strategy provides diversified exposure across sustainable forestry, agricultural land, food production systems, carbon and climate-related investments, and biodiversity and ecosystem markets—addressing investor demand for institutional-grade global natural capital allocations.
- • New Forests CEO Mark Rogers emphasized that natural capital is increasingly recognized as a core portfolio component offering long-term returns alongside climate stability, biodiversity, and sustainable land use outcomes.
- • Global head of investments David Shelton highlighted that while many investors historically accessed natural capital through regional allocations, the GLO strategy addresses the gap for institutions lacking scale, resources, or expertise to build and manage global portfolios independently.
- • The firm manages USD 6.85 billion (AUD 12.15 billion) in assets under management and is majority-owned by Japanese conglomerate Mitsui & Co. and Nomura Holdings, positioning it as a significant player in the expanding natural capital asset class.
Summary
New Forests, a Sydney-based global investment manager specializing in nature-based real assets, has launched its inaugural Global Landscape Opportunities strategy to capitalize on institutional demand for diversified natural capital exposure. The Luxembourg-domiciled fund represents a strategic expansion of the firm's service offerings, extending investment access across six major geographic regions: North America, Europe, Australia-New Zealand, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
The GLO strategy delivers broad-based exposure to multiple natural capital asset classes within a single institutional vehicle. Investment scope encompasses sustainable forestry assets, agricultural land and food production systems, carbon and climate-related investments, and biodiversity and ecosystem markets. This multi-asset approach addresses a structural gap in the market: while institutional investors increasingly recognize natural capital's role in portfolio diversification and risk management, most have historically accessed these opportunities through fragmented regional allocations rather than globally integrated strategies.
CEO Mark Rogers framed the launch as a response to demonstrable investor appetite for scalable, institutional-grade natural capital strategies. He emphasized that natural capital is becoming embedded as a core portfolio component, valued not only for long-term return potential but also for its contribution to climate stability, biodiversity preservation, and sustainable land use outcomes. David Shelton, global head of investments, reinforced this positioning by noting that capital markets increasingly recognize land-based assets' capacity to deliver returns and diversification—yet many institutions lack the operational scale, technical expertise, and resources required to construct and manage geographically diversified natural capital portfolios independently.
New Forests' AUM of USD 6.85 billion reflects the firm's established track record in managing nature-based investments. The firm is majority-controlled by Japanese financial institutions Mitsui & Co. and Nomura Holdings, both of which acquired 100% shareholding in 2022, positioning the asset manager within a global investment conglomerate framework. The GLO strategy's launch signals broader institutional acceptance of natural capital as a discrete and material asset class within alternative investment portfolios, distinct from traditional real estate, commodities, or infrastructure allocations.
The GLO strategy delivers broad-based exposure to multiple natural capital asset classes within a single institutional vehicle. Investment scope encompasses sustainable forestry assets, agricultural land and food production systems, carbon and climate-related investments, and biodiversity and ecosystem markets. This multi-asset approach addresses a structural gap in the market: while institutional investors increasingly recognize natural capital's role in portfolio diversification and risk management, most have historically accessed these opportunities through fragmented regional allocations rather than globally integrated strategies.
CEO Mark Rogers framed the launch as a response to demonstrable investor appetite for scalable, institutional-grade natural capital strategies. He emphasized that natural capital is becoming embedded as a core portfolio component, valued not only for long-term return potential but also for its contribution to climate stability, biodiversity preservation, and sustainable land use outcomes. David Shelton, global head of investments, reinforced this positioning by noting that capital markets increasingly recognize land-based assets' capacity to deliver returns and diversification—yet many institutions lack the operational scale, technical expertise, and resources required to construct and manage geographically diversified natural capital portfolios independently.
New Forests' AUM of USD 6.85 billion reflects the firm's established track record in managing nature-based investments. The firm is majority-controlled by Japanese financial institutions Mitsui & Co. and Nomura Holdings, both of which acquired 100% shareholding in 2022, positioning the asset manager within a global investment conglomerate framework. The GLO strategy's launch signals broader institutional acceptance of natural capital as a discrete and material asset class within alternative investment portfolios, distinct from traditional real estate, commodities, or infrastructure allocations.
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