EnTrade, the UK's leading marketplace for nature recovery, has joined forces with global engineering and sustainable development consultancy Arup, to go nationwide and accelerate private investment in nature recovery. 
 

 The joint venture between Arup and EnTrade's owner, YTL UK Group, will allow the model EnTrade has established in its Bristol Avon and Somerset Catchment Markets to be scaled up across the country. Those pilot projects have led to significant environmental improvements, with 94 hectares of nature-based projects now established, backed by private investment of over £1.3 million. 
 

 As the UK's first end-to-end environmental market operator, EnTrade facilitates investment from companies into local nature-based projects that enhance water quality, biodiversity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This enables farmers and land managers to earn income from environmental projects and helps businesses to meet their environmental goals. 

 The joint venture was launched last night in Bristol, with support from Kerry McCarthy, MP for Bristol East, CEO of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Joanna Lewis and renowned environmentalist Ben Goldsmith.  

 The news will be particularly welcomed by property development companies, which are now legally required to demonstrate that their developments will deliver at least a 10% increase in local biodiversity value in order to secure planning permission. Purchasing certified biodiversity units is one way to meet these requirements, but until now the market infrastructure to support such trades has been sorely lacking. EnTrade is changing that; Abbey Manor Group recently purchased credits from EnTrade enabling it to secure planning permission for one site and progress a further 100 house development near Yeovil.  

 The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries on Earth and faces a nature finance gap of at least £44bn per year. Scaling up nature markets could make a significant contribution to closing this gap and accelerating nature recovery.  

 The EnTrade - Arup partnership is launching a new online marketplace, bringing its activities into one seamless digital system. It makes it easy for businesses and landholders to trade certified environmental services such as nutrient reduction and biodiversity gain in a fair, efficient and transparent way. The partners are in the advanced stages of launching at least two new regional nature markets in 2025 and other local planning authorities are encouraged to come forward and partner with EnTrade to set up additional new markets to facilitate local investment in nature.  

 EnTrade Managing Director Guy Thompson said: "Nature is in crisis and we need a fundamental re-think on how we fund nature recovery.  EnTrade has been at the forefront of thinking about how well-designed and regulated markets can efficiently deliver verified environmental improvements."  

 Vikki Williams, Digital Water Leader, Arup, commented: "Our partnership with EnTrade and YTL has come about through our shared ambition to accelerate green economic growth and infrastructure development." 

"We are proud to bring the digital and market design expertise required to build an online marketplace that will underpin EnTrade's role as a high integrity market operator.''