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World Bank Group - International Development, Poverty and Sustainability

International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Homepage | European Investment Bank

In this episode from the asset vault, I’m joined by Daniel Farchy, an expert in multilateral finance who has worked across the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). In this conversation, Daniel describes the development and impact mandate behind most multilateral finance institutions. We talk about blended finance (particularly what structure works well for forestry) and the power of concessional capital to crowd in more risk-averse investors. Daniel explains the conundrum of the finance available in capital markets compared to the relatively small need for climate and nature solutions – where legally restricted allocations mean the finance pool is not as big as we think. We discuss the heavy lifting that multilateral or DFI finance can do in screening and due diligence. Conversely, this can also be perceived as a downside, as the investment process in such a partnership takes more time.

00:00 – Introduction & Guest Background

03:30 – Understanding Multilateral Development Finance Institutions

07:05 – Returns, Capital Structure & Investment Mandates

09:50 – How to Partner with Multilateral Investors

12:00 – Due Diligence, Safeguards & Approval Processes

17:20 – Blended Finance Explained

19:35 – First-Loss Capital & Risk-Sharing Structures

23:30 – The Limits of De-Risking Capital

26:30 – Capital Allocation Trends in Climate & Nature

28:30 – Public-Private Partnerships: Opportunities & Challenges

34:30 – Do DFIs Slow Down Investment?

36:30 – The Untapped Potential of Sustainable Forestry

38:00 – Advice for Fund Managers Seeking DFI Capital

40:00 – Why Forestry Appeals to Long-Term Investors

41:40 – Future Demand for Wood & Forest Products

42:25 – Closing Remarks & Further Resources

Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink

Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives

Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud

Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud

Ambient Documentary by Sound Guru (Pixabay)

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[email protected]

In this episode from the asset vault, I'm joined by Dr. Colin Smith of Paperbark Consulting. Colin is an expert soil scientist, and in this conversation he shares his vast experience in plantation forestry, giving insights that will support investors (and forest managers for that matter) with what considerations should be made and questions should be asked when evaluating several technical plantation management factors. We talk about where certain tree species do best and get into specifics on soil, water, climate, the importance of research, ecological deserts and more.

00:08 Introduction & Guest Overview

00:43 Colin Smith’s Forestry Background and Consulting Work

05:37 Lessons from Forestry Failures and Investment Due Diligence

08:50 Key Factors in Evaluating Plantation Forest Investments

13:07 Site-Level Management, Silviculture & Weed Control

15:25 Native Species vs Commercial Plantation Species

17:33 Eucalyptus, Water Use & Sustainability Myths

22:41 Does Irrigation Make Sense in Forestry?

30:12 Climate Change, Species Selection & Risk Management

35:55 Why Forestry Projects Need Research & Development Trials

39:02 Biodiversity, Soil Health & the ‘Ecological Desert’ Debate

43:21 Colin’s Top Advice for New Forest Investors

44:34 How to Contact Colin Smith

45:34 Colin’s Favourite Tree Revisited

46:26 Closing Remarks & Outro

Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink

Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives

Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud

Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud

Ambient Documentary by Sound Guru (Pixabay)

Sign up now for the ForestLink’s newsletter, where you’ll receive technical advice, reflections, and best-practice guidance to support you with your forest-linked investment strategy or business straight to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Weyerhaeuser

Today, I’m joined by Ara Erickson, Vice President of Corporate Sustainability at Weyerhaeuser. In this conversation, Ara explains how one of the world’s largest private forest landowners approaches sustainability across more than 20 million acres of managed forests in the US and Canada. We discuss the evolution of sustainable forestry over the past century, the realities of managing forests for multiple values, and why healthy, actively managed forests are critical for climate resilience and wildfire mitigation. Ara shares insights into timber REIT structures, forest certification, carbon markets, renewable energy opportunities, and the growing role of forests in delivering climate and nature solutions. We also explore the future of wood as a sustainable building material and the increasing importance of integrating environmental, social, and financial outcomes in forest investment strategy.

00:00 – Introduction & Meet Ara Erickson

01:58 – Weyerhaeuser's History & Legacy

06:23 – Weyerhaeuser's Forest Holdings

10:54 – Beyond Timber: Additional Revenue Streams

12:18 – Understanding the Timber REIT Model

18:33 – Sustainability in a Public Company

27:24 – The Evolution of Sustainable Forestry

33:16 – Wildfire, Forest Health & Forest Management

41:03 – Weyerhaeuser's Sustainability Initiatives

46:02 – The Future of Forestry & Sustainability

50:43 – Advice for New Forest Investors

52:11 – Final Thoughts & Resources

Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink

Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives

Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud

Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud

Ambient Documentary by Sound Guru (Pixabay)

Sign up now for the ForestLink’s newsletter, where you’ll receive technical advice, reflections, and best-practice guidance to support you with your forest-linked investment strategy or business straight to your inbox.

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From the Vault - Jasper Renk

MEAG

MEAG on LinkedIn

Jasper Renk on LinkedIn

Favourite trees: Spruce

In this rerun, I’m joined by Jasper Renk, Senior Investment Manager for Illiquid Assets in Natural Capital at MEAG. In this advice-packed episode, Jasper shares MEAG’s 15-year experience in investing in Timberland. He explains the most critical determining factors in deciding MEAG’s forest investment jurisdictions and describes how the organisation is well equipped to address climate risks, sitting on 140 years of climate data. Jasper shares his thoughts on how to house your forest investment and sheds light on why forest investment isn’t the most suitable for debt instruments. We talk about sustainability and how it is a core tenant of how they invest, emphasising that prioritising sustainability reduces risk and secures return expectations.

Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink

Producer and editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives

01:02

Background to MEAG & Jasper

04:06

Decision to move into timberland investments

05:11

MEAG's perception of timberland allocation performance

07:58

Shift in how assets are housed in portfolio

10:51

Learning curve for institutional investor

12:52

Risk-reduced way to gain exposure

13:44

Best instrument to get started (and trajectory)

16:33

Risk return profile of MEAG

19:22

Operational side of owned forest assets

22:57

Functioning transactional market

24:38

Investment vehicles, e,g. debt instruments

27:45

Sustainability

32:00

Sustainability objectives

34:28

Beneficiaries stand on sustainability

39:08

Actionable advice

39:50

Contact details

Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud

Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud

Sign up now for the ForestLink’s newsletter, where you’ll receive technical advice, reflections, and best-practice guidance to support you with your forest-linked investment strategy or business straight to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not an endorsement for this opportunity, nor is it an investment recommendation or investment advice.

Send an email to [email protected] to learn how to apply

Watch on You Tube

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Generation Forest

Generation Forest on LinkedIn

The Ask: $25M USD to acquire land in Panama and establish more permanent, productive biodiverse forests in Panama

Today on Pitch Pod, I’m joined by Andreas Eke, CEO of Generation Forest Invest. In this conversation, Andreas presents Generation Forest’s approach to building permanent, productive, biodiverse forests in Panama through a combination of land acquisition, native species reforestation, carbon finance, and long-term timber management. We discuss how the model is designed to generate returns from both timber and premium-priced carbon credits, while restoring degraded cattle land into permanent forest assets. Andreas explains the organization’s cooperative and institutional investment structures, the role of carbon pre-sales in financing expansion, and the strategy behind building a 50,000-hectare forest corridor supporting biodiversity, watershed protection, and rural livelihoods. We also explore the operational realities of managing mixed-species forestry, land acquisition due diligence, and why biodiversity and permanence may become increasingly important drivers of long-term forest value.

Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink

Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives

Sound Library

Ecology-Agriculture-Environment via Pixabay

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www.youtube.com/@Resources_TheForestLink

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Pitch Pod is the new spin-off from Forest Invest, hosted by Shauna Matkovich, showcasing investment-ready forest and nature-based solutions opportunities.

Each episode features a project pitch followed by a practical Q&A exploring strategy, impact, scalability, and commercial potential, giving investors, founders, and practitioners a behind-the-scenes look at real-world nature finance deals.

New episodes drop alongside Forest Invest, with video versions available on YouTube.

Pitch Pod is an awareness platform only and does not provide investment advice or endorsements.

Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink

Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives

Sound Library

Ecology-Agriculture-Environment via Pixabay

Sign up now for the ForestLink’s newsletter, where you’ll receive technical advice, reflections, and best-practice guidance to support you with your forest-linked investment strategy or business straight to your inbox.

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Symbiosis Coalition

Today, I’m joined by Julia Strong, founder and executive director of Symbiosis Coalition. In this conversation, Julia explains how buyer-led demand can help scale high-integrity forest carbon projects and mobilize capital into nature-based carbon removal. We talk about the role of long-term offtake agreements, the quality criteria Symbiosis uses to evaluate developers, and the common reasons projects fall short in the RFP process. Julia also shares what investors and project developers need to understand about readiness, benefit sharing, and the future of forest carbon as an investable asset class.

00:13 Introduction to Forest Invest

00:34 Julia Strong’s favourite tree

01:21 Julia’s background and the launch of Symbiosis

03:13 Sending a clear demand signal for high-integrity carbon removals

04:17 The four core components of Symbiosis

05:20 Unlocking capital through buyer confidence and quality

07:17 The 20 million ton commitment by 2030

09:42 What makes a developer a good fit for Symbiosis

12:17 How developers can access the Symbiosis RFP

14:42 The chicken-and-egg problem in project finance

17:03 Symbiosis quality criteria and project evaluation

24:01 How the RFP process can help shape the market

25:23 Symbiosis’ role after offtake agreements

26:39 Common reasons projects do not advance

31:01 Why pilots and local track records matter

32:16 Bridge capital and the valley of death

35:01 How long the diligence process can take

37:53 Living Carbon and Mombak project examples

41:27 Building a diversified carbon removal portfolio

43:47 How to accelerate buyer demand

47:09 What is next for Symbiosis

48:00 Advice for new forest investors

49:28 Where to learn more about Symbiosis

49:57 Closing thoughts from Shauna Matkovich

Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink

Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives

Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud

Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud

Ambient Documentary by Sound Guru (Pixabay)

Sign up now for the ForestLink’s newsletter, where you’ll receive technical advice, reflections, and best-practice guidance to support you with your forest-linked investment strategy or business straight to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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BIOFIN

Today, I’m joined by Abbie Trinidad, Anabelle Plantilla, and Niran Nirannoot from the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), a UNDP-led programme now active in 131 countries. In this conversation, we explore how BIOFIN is tackling the biodiversity finance gap through practical ecotourism and conservation finance models in the Philippines and Thailand. We discuss community-led approaches in Sibalom Natural Park, tourist user charges and coral reef restoration on Koh Tao, and mangrove conservation in Phetchaburi. Along the way, we examine what it takes to attract private sector interest into biodiversity projects, the importance of policy and local institutions, and why conservation is increasingly an economic issue as much as an environmental one.

"Conservation is not just an environmental issue, it is actually an economic one" - Anabelle

00:05 – Intro & BIOFIN guests

00:36 – Favourite trees (icebreaker)

01:48 – What is BIOFIN?

05:53 – Why private investment matters

07:56 – Biodiversity investment opportunities

09:13 – Philippines: Sibalom Natural Park

12:11 – Community ecotourism model

18:36 – Early biodiversity outcomes

23:15 – Carbon credits & policy gaps

29:24 – Thailand: Koh Tao case

32:29 – Tourist fee & fintech system

39:00 – Impact: waste & coral recovery

42:03 – Mangroves, co-investment & carbon

48:36 – Key challenges & investor mindset

52:55 – Final takeaway: nature as investment

Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink

Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives

Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud

Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud

Ambient Documentary by Sound Guru (Pixabay)

Sign up now for the ForestLink’s newsletter, where you’ll receive technical advice, reflections, and best-practice guidance to support you with your forest-linked investment strategy or business straight to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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CapMan Natural Capital

Today, I’m joined by Jyri Hietala and Tapani Pahkasalo, Managing Partner and Co-Managing Partner of CapMan Natural Capital. In this conversation, we discuss CapMan’s approach to active forest investment management across Europe and unpack the recent sale of a Baltic forest portfolio to Inter IKEA. Jyri and Tapani explain how they build institutional-scale portfolios, create value through forest management, renewable energy, and other ecosystem services, and position assets for different buyer profiles at exit. We also talk about what this transaction may signal for the future of European forest investment. From industrial demand for long-term wood supply to the growing importance of biodiversity, carbon, and natural capital value creation, this episode explores why high-quality forestry assets are attracting attention from both financial and strategic buyers.

0:11 Introduction to the episode

0:20 Meet Jyri Hietala and Tapani Pahkasalo from CapMan Natural Capital

0:37 Favorite trees: pine and cork oak

1:46 Guest backgrounds and introductions

3:52 Why Dassos joined CapMan

7:07 CapMan Natural Capital’s investment approach

9:37 Value creation beyond timber

12:46 Current investment markets in Europe

13:40 The Inter IKEA transaction

14:35 How the Baltic portfolio was built

17:34 Previous owners and local forest management

20:12 Why Inter IKEA was the right buyer

21:22 What made the transaction successful

23:19 What the deal signals for European forestry

25:09 Forest health, bark beetles and wood supply

27:00 Industrial buyers and vertical integration

29:05 Biodiversity and ecosystem services

31:15 How buyer types shape portfolio strategy

37:02 Offtake agreements and exit flexibility

38:03 Why Europe remains attractive for investors

39:32 Advice for new forest investors

40:29 Where to learn more about CapMan Natural Capital

Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink

Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives

Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud

Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud

Ambient Documentary by Sound Guru (Pixabay)

Sign up now for the ForestLink’s newsletter, where you’ll receive technical advice, reflections, and best-practice guidance to support you with your forest-linked investment strategy or business straight to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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NatureVest (The Nature Conservancy)

The Cumberland Forest Project

Blended Finance

Today, I’m joined by Greg Meade, Cumberland Forest Project Director at NatureVest. In this conversation, Greg explains how the Cumberland Forest Project was structured as a closed-end private investment fund designed to put conservation and community outcomes on equal footing with financial return. We talk about blended finance, sustainable timber harvesting, carbon offsets, conservation easements, renewable energy, and the project’s community fund in rural Appalachia. Greg also shares what NatureVest has learned from building this model, how the fund is performing relative to US timberland benchmarks, and what investors and forest managers can take away from this whole-forest-value approach.

00:12 – Introduction to Forest Invest  

00:34 – Greg Meade’s favorite tree: sourwood  

01:32 – Greg Meade’s background in forestry  

03:07 – What NatureVest does  

03:30 – Overview of the Cumberland Forest Project  

04:38 – Fund assets and geography  

05:51 – Blended finance and concessional debt  

09:49 – Who invested in the fund  

11:54 – How the project differs from traditional TIMOs  

13:27 – Exit strategy and protecting long-term impact  

15:48 – Forest management and revenue streams  

18:05 – Community fund and local economies  

20:41 – Mineral royalties and reclaimed coal revenue  

23:35 – Revenue diversification across the portfolio  

26:21 – Investor concerns about geographic concentration  

27:40 – Local staff and operational setup  

29:54 – Impact outcomes achieved so far  

33:37 – Financial performance  

34:06 – Lessons learned  

38:32 – Advice for replicating the model  

40:40 – What’s next for NatureVest  

43:37 – Advice for new forest investors  

44:52 – Closing remarks  

Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink

Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives

Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud

Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud

Ambient Documentary by Sound Guru (Pixabay)

Sign up now for the ForestLink’s newsletter, where you’ll receive technical advice, reflections, and best-practice guidance to support you with your forest-linked investment strategy or business straight to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.