Wedoany.com Report on Mar 19th, BNP Paribas Asset Management's Alternative Investments division (BNPP AM Alts) has led the Series A funding round for Rainforest Builder UK Ltd, a company focused on restoring tropical forests in West Africa. This investment was made through BNPP AM Alts' Natural Capital & Impact strategy and includes dedicated project financing for the Colobus project in eastern Ghana, covering degraded lands in the Oti and Volta regions within the Upper Guinean Forest.
Rainforest Builder employs a vertically integrated model, managing the entire restoration process from seed collection to long-term forest management. The company plants native species on degraded lands and integrates ecological data into a proprietary system to track progress and enhance restoration outcomes. The Colobus project combines environmental and economic objectives. Beyond reforestation, it collaborates with local farmers to improve agricultural productivity, thereby reducing pressure on forests. Some of the land also supports sustainable timber production, creating jobs and income sources.
The financing structure is designed to generate high-quality carbon removal credits, an area of growing corporate preference in the voluntary carbon market. Forest restoration projects, when executed at scale with scientific rigor, are seen as a key supply source for these credits. For BNPP AM Alts, this investment expands its natural capital exposure, linking environmental outcomes with financial returns. The firm manages approximately €300 billion in assets across areas such as real estate, infrastructure, and private equity.
Rainforest Builder currently operates four projects in Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. The new capital will accelerate its expansion in existing and new markets. This deal highlights the convergence of climate finance, biodiversity conservation, and development policy, aiming to unlock more private capital for nature-based solutions. At a global level, it reinforces the role of natural capital in investment portfolios and signals confidence in the carbon removal credit market.
