Forest Investment Associates (FIA) has won the Environmental fund of the year for the North America region for the continued deployment of its climate-smart forestry strategy.
The $130 million strategy was first launched in 2022 with backing from a Danish pension fund. By the end of 2024, FIA had deployed all capital through acquisitions from forestry companies, such as Weyerhaeuser and PoltachDeltic, through bespoke deals designed to ensure the assets chosen met the pension fund's needs.
To ensure the carbon removals from the timberland investment can be used towards the pension fund's net zero targets, FIA worked with one of the 'Big 4' consulting firms on a readiness assessment. This enabled the firm to secure limited assurance on its forest carbon reporting in early 2025 – something which is not yet common practice in the industry.
It also worked with Swedish consultancy AFRY to review its alignment with the EU's taxonomy.
FIA said this provides rigour "in an area lacking standardised frameworks while simultaneously helping develop FIA's credibility as a thought leader in natural capital investing".
Award judges labelled the fund as "innovative" and praised the product's clear focus and "depth of impact" on conservation. They also highlighted the fund as a leader in this space.
