Land, Nature and Value: How Professional Advisers Can Guide Their Clients Through Change
Why natural capital knowledge is becoming a core part of trusted advisory work.
Credit: Eugene Regis
For many professional advisers, conversations about natural capital can feel like unfamiliar territory. But that’s beginning to change. Whether you’re advising on tax, inheritance, investment strategy or land management, your clients are increasingly facing decisions shaped by the growing value placed on nature.
Carbon credits, biodiversity units, nutrient markets, stewardship schemes — these are no longer niche ideas. They’re influencing how estates are structured, how assets are valued, and how reputational risk is managed. For lawyers, accountants, wealth managers and land agents, natural capital is becoming part of the advisory landscape — not a separate discipline, but a new layer of context and opportunity.
Why this matters now
In the past, decisions about land were largely framed in terms of agricultural productivity, development potential or heritage value. Today, a fourth lens is emerging: ecological function. What habitats exist on the land? What can be restored, enhanced, monetised, or stewarded in new ways? These questions are not just environmental — they’re financial and legal.
Clients may be approached by carbon project developers, brokers offering biodiversity deals, or NGOs proposing partnerships. Others are unsure how new regulations — such as Biodiversity Net Gain or evolving subsidy regimes — affect their long-term plans. All of them need clarity, structure and informed support.
That’s where advisers come in.
The evolving role of the adviser
No one expects a tax adviser to be an ecologist, or a solicitor to design a carbon project. But your role is crucial in helping clients navigate this new space:
Framing the right questions: Is this opportunity aligned with estate objectives? What are the legal, financial and tax implications?
Reading the small print: What are the permanence obligations? Who owns the credit rights? Are there restrictions on land use?
Identifying risk and value: Could this agreement compromise inheritance planning? What reputational risks might arise?
Connecting the dots: How does this opportunity fit with other parts of the business or estate structure?
Practical scenarios advisers are already encountering:
A landowner entering a soil carbon project with unclear terms
A family office considering investment in biodiversity credits
A client leasing natural capital rights and wondering about tax treatment
A property transaction involving credits yet to be realised
These aren’t theoretical issues. They’re happening now — and becoming more common.
The risks of staying on the sidelines
The biggest risk for advisers is not offering bad advice, but offering none at all. Clients don’t expect you to have all the answers, but they do expect you to understand the territory. If you can’t help them navigate it, someone else will.
Being equipped to advise on natural capital adds value to your existing services. It strengthens trust. And it ensures your clients are not missing out on opportunities — or sleepwalking into obligations they don’t understand.
Where to start
You don’t need to be an expert to get started. But you do need a framework:
Stay informed on market basics (carbon, biodiversity, nutrient credits)
Build relationships with credible technical advisers
Ask natural capital questions early in any estate or land-related conversation
Bring natural capital into conversations about succession, planning, or diversification
Final thought
Natural capital is not a passing trend. It’s becoming part of how land and wealth are managed in the 21st century. For advisers, it’s a chance to play a central role in that transition — not just by reacting to change, but by helping clients shape it.
