NatCapEx, Schroders' research-based model for quantifying companies' nature impact in monetary terms, was the Sustainable Investment Awards judges' choice as Innovation of the year in the field of research, with one judge describing it as a "scalable and impactful tool and piece of research".

"An innovative solution to address nature risk by monetising nature impacts at scale and embedding them into portfolio construction," said the judge.

Launched last year, the model assesses over 9,000 listed companies globally, translating complex biodiversity data into a single, decision-useful metric: Nature Value/Sales (%). The metric expresses the unpriced externalities that companies impose on – or contribute to – nature, enabling direct comparison between them.

To calculate this metric, the model analyses four key dimensions: business model impacts, geographic exposure, management quality, and avoided nature loss.

The research-based model allows investors to assess aggregate exposure to nature-related risks and opportunities at a portfolio level. It also enables more nuanced stock selection by distinguishing between companies with similar sector exposures but different management quality or geographical risk profiles.