A breakthrough for nature: CFP launches NewLand Nature Development impact fund

We are at a tipping point. As biodiversity declines, climate change accelerates and landscapes become depleted, there is a growing awareness that things must change, and that change is possible. With NewLand Nature Development, an impact fund for nature development, CFP Green Buildings is setting a new standard for restoring nature. Large-scale, innovative and ground-breaking.

Everyone agrees, but no one succeeds in getting it off the ground

Across Europe, plans are ready: making riverbanks safer, transforming grasslands into bird havens, rewetting peatlands to reduce carbon emissions. Governments want to invest. Farmers are ready to transition. Nature organisations are prepared to act. And yet… nothing happens.

“Everyone agrees on what needs to be done. But no one succeeds in securing the financing,” says Lune Walder, Fund Manager of NewLand Nature Development. “Nature often has no viable business model. Charities cannot fund it alone, banks hesitate without a solid business case, and governments struggle to find the right commercial partners.”

NewLand Nature Development: where financial logic meets ecological impact 

NewLand breaks through this impasse. By smartly dividing a project into components such as nature, recreation, housing and infrastructure, it becomes possible to match each part with the appropriate investor. A charity funds the bird habitat. A developer finances the lodges. A bank supports the recreational paths. Together, something greater emerges: nature with a future.

This innovative approach is known as blended nature finance. NewLand is the first impact fund in the Netherlands to enable this approach on a large scale.

How does NewLand make a difference? 

NewLand is a private limited company (BV) and manages an investment fund. Funding is only deployed if a nature project meets both ecological and financial criteria. For example:

• Restoring riverbanks and improving natural flood safety
• Creating nature corridors between fragmented landscapes
• Rewetting peatlands to reduce carbon emissions
• Enriching landscapes, such as the Marker Wadden+ project

NewLand brings together public and private investors, significantly accelerates project timelines, and reduces risk. What currently takes decades can soon be realised within a few years.

An ode to man-made nature 

The name NewLand refers to the Dutch nature reserve Nieuw Land – made up of the Markermeer, Oostvaardersplassen, Lepelaarplassen and Marker Wadden. Three of these four are man-made – developed with the help of partners such as Natuurmonumenten. They show that nature can not only be restored, but also created. “As humans, we have the ability to build nature and to bring it back,” says Lune. “We must simply rethink how we finance it.”

From grassland to biodiversity haven at scale

NewLand demonstrates that nature restoration is not only necessary, but also achievable. By rethinking financing, we can accelerate projects that would otherwise remain on hold. The result is thriving ecosystems, safer deltas, and landscapes that contribute to climate solutions as well as quality of life. Lune summarises it clearly: “With NewLand, CFP is paving the way for nature restoration with real impact – for nature, biodiversity and people all over the world.”