As London Climate Action Week wraps up, leaders from across the nature, climate, corporate and finance sectors met to discuss the most pressing global issues, from food systems to clean air, risk, technology and nature-based solutions. But one crucial question remains: what role should London itself play?

As a global financial centre and home to thousands of climate innovators, London is uniquely positioned to lead. Billions in corporate and institutional wealth flow through the city. What if even a fraction of that capital were directed toward safeguarding and restoring the UK's most precious natural assets?

Our landscapes, including ones that we collaborate with, such as the UK National Parks, are more than scenic retreats. They are critical natural infrastructure: carbon sinks, water purifiers, biodiversity havens, and buffers against extreme weather. But they are under growing strain: degraded peatlands, deforested valleys, and vanishing species signal an urgent need for action.

The keyword is ‘action’. It is time for London’s wealth to step off the sidelines and into the solution at scale. National Parks and other landscapes are vital to the health and resilience of our nation, deserving of investment.

Here's how financial capital can start flowing to make a difference:

Investing in Nature-Based Solutions

Peatland restoration, woodland creation, biodiversity creation and catchment management offer measurable impact and financial returns. The most catalytic move companies can make now is to commit to large-scale purchases of UK nature carbon or biodiversity credits, either through upfront finance or forward purchase agreements. High volume purchases act as market signals that attract broader investment.

Investing in nature is not just a climate imperative – it’s an economic upgrade. As clean energy and nature markets mature, early movers will reap both reputation and financial rewards.

Take the Symbiosis Coalition as an example – a groundbreaking alliance of Meta, Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, and McKinsey & Company. Their pledge to purchase 20 million nature-based carbon removal credits has boosted market confidence and set a new benchmark. Such commitments don’t just support restoration; they provide the demand certainty investors need to get projects off the ground.

Philanthropy with Purpose

Corporate social responsibility budgets and philanthropic initiatives can back transformative projects, from recovering endangered species, enhancing habitats, or improving public engagement with nature. For instance, the Cairngorms 2030 programme empowers local communities to deliver nature and climate solutions across Scotland’s largest national park.

In the Lake District, a new ‘super nature reserve’ around Bassenthwaite Lake is restoring wetland ecosystems and launching citizen science initiatives.

Meanwhile, the Arun Valley Landscape Recovery Project in the South Downs National Park is restoring over 800 hectares of habitat through a long-term vision balancing wildlife recovery and food production. These are just a few of the impactful programmes where corporate giving can leave a lasting legacy.

A good starting point is the work being coordinated by National Parks Partnerships.

Backing Innovation

Nature and climate resilience rely on ongoing innovation. Across the UK, project developers, farming clusters, eNGOs, scientists, academics and start-ups are constantly trialling new approaches, many of which were showcased at London Climate Action Week. With over 250,000 climate innovators based in the capital, London is primed to lead on cutting edge environmental finance, technology and partnerships. While some projects are not yet commercially viable, they represent the future of climate solutions.

Investors, philanthropists, and forward-looking firms must be willing to fund these high-impact experiments during their critical R&D phases. Accelerating these efforts will yield scalable solutions society increasingly depends upon.

It's time to reframe environmental responsibility not as a cost but as a strategic investment.

An Imperative for All

Engaging with nature and climate is an investment in stability, in resilience and in future quality of life. The UK’s inspiring landscapes have long supported London’s economic prosperity. Now it is time for London to invest in the landscapes that sustain us all