Essential Yet Undervalued: Helen Avery on GFI's Mission to Crowd-In Natural Capital Investment (#064)

Biodiversity loss isn’t just an environmental issue – it’s a financial opportunity hiding in plain sight. But here’s the thing: while it’s just as important as tackling carbon emissions, natural capital is still flying under the radar for most businesses and investors.

That’s where today’s guest, Helen Avery, comes in. Helen is the Director of Nature Programs at the Green Finance Institute (GFI), and she’s on a mission to flip the script. Working at the crossroads of finance and nature, she is helping break down the barriers that are keeping private investment from flowing into biodiversity and sustainable landscapes.

Helen makes a compelling case: ignoring natural capital isn’t just bad for the planet – it’s bad business. She’s helping companies rethink the way they operate, from creating financial tools like carbon credits to embedding biodiversity right into their business models.

In this interview, Helen explains why biodiversity has been overlooked in the climate conversation and how the GFI is driving innovation to get private money moving into nature-positive projects. 

We also talk about the big challenges – like scaling investments in natural capital – and why we need more leadership and collaboration to make restoring nature an economic no-brainer. 

Tune in as we talk about how the finance world can drive meaningful change for our planet – and why it’s time to make that happen. 

Don’t miss it!

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About the SRI 360° Podcast: The SRI 360° Podcast is focused exclusively on sustainable & responsible investing. In each episode, I interview a world-class investor who is an accomplished practitioner from all asset classes. In my interviews, I cover everything from their early personal journeys to insights into how they developed and executed their investment strategies and what challenges they face today. Each episode is a chance to go way below the surface with these impressive people and gain additional insights and useful lessons from professional investors.

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Key Takeaways:
Introduction (00:00) 
Helen Avery’s background, education & early career (03:40) 
Joining Green Finance Institute (GFI) in 2020 (15:47) 
GFI overview, mission, and theory of change (21:13) 
The value of natural capital in driving investment returns (31:18) 
GFI’s Nature Programs and its key focus areas (42:06) 
Catalyzing private investment with structured approaches (46:39) 
Reporting standards for nature-related risks (57:14) 
Rapid fire questions (01:05:27) 
Contact info (01:09:53)

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Additional Resources:

Helen Avery LinkedIn 

GFI website 

GFI Hive website