Mobilizing Capital for Natural Infrastructure in Canada

This guide provides a framework for project champions and funders to secure capital for natural infrastructure in Canada, focusing on bridging the gap between early-stage valuation and project finance.

• Natural infrastructure consists of naturally occurring or naturalized systems, such as forests, floodplains, grasslands, and wetlands, that are intentionally managed and optimized to provide greater environmental and human well-being benefits than unmanaged nature.
• Funding for natural infrastructure typically involves a mix of private, public, and philanthropic sources, often starting with philanthropic catalyst grants followed by larger, long-term public funds.
• To successfully develop pragmatic finance solutions, project champions should follow a process of identifying a driver, identifying a lead beneficiary or implementer, creating a pitch, establishing partnerships, and securing pre-development or catalyst funding.
• Recommendations for investors and funders include providing dedicated pre-development support, supporting efforts to achieve scale, aligning potential beneficiaries, and funding research to create performance metrics and fill data gaps.

APA

Roy,, S. V. ,. (2020). Mobilizing Capital for Natural Infrastructure in Canada. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/guide/mobilizing-capital-natural-infrastructure-canada

Chicago

Roy,, Shalini Vajjhala ,Dimple. Mobilizing Capital for Natural Infrastructure in Canada. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/publications/guide/mobilizing-capital-natural-infrastructure-canada.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Roy, |first1=Shalini Vajjhala ,Dimple |title=Mobilizing Capital for Natural Infrastructure in Canada |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=1 December 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/guide/mobilizing-capital-natural-infrastructure-canada |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{roy2020mobilizing, author = {Roy,, Shalini Vajjhala ,Dimple}, title = {{Mobilizing Capital for Natural Infrastructure in Canada}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/guide/mobilizing-capital-natural-infrastructure-canada}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }