Nature-based real assets and natural capital strategies-focused global investment manager New Forests’ Australia New Zealand Landscapes and Forestry Fund (ANZLAFF) has reached final close at A$600 million (US$372.3 million), with three new investors backing the vehicle. ANZLAFF offers exposure to integrated forest, land, carbon and agriculture markets in Australia and New Zealand, with investments focused on forestry plantations, alongside processing and related infrastructure. The fund aims to position investors so that they can benefit from the best use of forestry and agricultural land across Australia and New Zealand. It also offers additional revenue streams from carbon, biodiversity, and renewable energy such as solar and wind. The fund’s investments will also enhance climate mitigation through carbon sequestration and emissions reduction opportunities. Capital for the fund came from institutional investors in Europe and Asia-Pacific. The three new investors in the Fund’s final close are Nordic investment manager Evli, Japanese energy company Kyushu Electric Power, and a German insurance company. The final close comes 12 months after ANZLAFF’s first close with commitments from five investors, including Swedish pension fund Andra AP-fonden, German pension group Bayerische Versorgungskammer, and the Australian Government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation. “It is exciting to see investors globally are increasingly considering how they can gain exposure to natural capital through an integrated investment into land, forestry, agriculture, carbon and biodiversity,” said David Shelton, Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand at New Forests.
