Terra Natural Capital launched this week, backed by Pala Investments and Bain Capital Partnership Strategies. Self-described as an environmental commodity investment company “committed to mitigating climate change by enabling the scaling of high-integrity carbon market credit”, Terra will aim to provide financing for carbon projects, and will partner with public and private organisations to support both regulated and voluntary net-zero targets. The group has already invested in a portfolio of carbon credit supply agreements for large-scale, nature-based carbon removal projects – including mangrove restoration and afforestation. Terra Co-founder Stephen Gill said the company had been built on three key pillars: legacy, accountability and creativity, with goals to apply those values to carbon markets. “As 2023 proved to be the earth’s hottest year on record, we believe the need for innovative financing solutions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions is at its most urgent today,” he added. Terra will also aim to offer flexible institutional financing, providing the capital investment needed to support carbon removal and reduction projects globally. “Traditional banks and financiers are largely still absent from these markets,” said Erica Vertefeuille, another Terra Co-founder. “We believe there is a compelling, generational opportunity for [us] to step in to support best-in-class project developers and facilitate the scaling of carbon credit markets and natural capital as an asset class.”
