Global markets face rising demand for robust ESG compliance, particularly on the environmental pillar, and alignment with international disclosure frameworks such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). At the same time, Hong Kong’s newly published Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Design Guidelines make clear the city’s intent to embed ecological uplift into infrastructure planning. To help translate that policy direction into practical action, Napital — in collaboration with AECOM — introduces the Natural Capital Index (NCi) through the Natural Capital Initiative as a tool to measure and finance nature-positive outcomes.
Napital — as the index proponent — today co-launches the NCi with AECOM, technical lead, and CMA Testing, independent verifier. This partnership will help catalyse Nature Markets, sustainability business and green finance across Asia and beyond.
“The Natural Capital Index (NCi) converts ecological performance into a single, transparent metric that is both readable and investable.”
“The NCi has been piloted in Asia, including projects on Bintan Island, Indonesia, and initiatives in Taiwan.”
What the Natural Capital Index delivers
The Natural Capital Index (NCi) aggregates scientifically grounded measurements — including the Biodiversity Accounting Metric — into a simple, transparent metric to help decision-makers across the corporate, financial and public sectors prioritise and finance projects that deliver measurable nature uplift. The NCi is designed to unlock green finance opportunities, while being compatible with emerging ESG disclosure needs, particularly TNFD guidance and regulatory requirements.
Core components of the Natural Capital Initiative
The Initiative is implemented through three core components that make the NCi operational and visible:
- Deliver High-Performance Ecosystems and Nature-based Solutions — science-led design, restoration and implementation of NbS across natural, rural and urban contexts to maximise ecological function and resilience.
- Quantify results with Five Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) — the quantitative backbone of the NCI: Biodiversity Unit (bU); Carbon Sequestration (tonne C); Air Quality Improvement (ton PM2.5 avoided); Water Resilience (reduced TSS & runoff control); Soil Health (%SOM).
- Interact through Digital Monitoring & Dashboard — a digital twin and dashboard that visualise ecosystem performance and natural capital value in near real time, underpinned by field data, remote sensing and secure data governance.
These components ensure the NCi is methodologically rigorous and communicable to investors, regulators and communities.
From in-setting to a pathway for nature credit
The Natural Capital Initiative advocates in-setting, recognising nature uplift as a source of long‑term value creation rather than a simple offset. By translating independently verified financial effort and environmental outcomes into standardised, transparent units, the NCi creates a credible pathway for the potential development of nature credit — representing effort-based financial contributions to nature uplift that are supported by verifiable outcomes. Any market mechanisms would be advanced only through rigorous pilot validation, independent verification by CMA Testing, alignment with TNFD, and ongoing stakeholder and regulatory engagement to ensure integrity, transparency and appropriate governance. This framing balances ambition with regulatory prudence.
Pilots, verification, and collaboration
The NCi has been piloted in Asia, including projects on Bintan Island, Indonesia, and initiatives in Taiwan. NCi methodology and data from the Bintan pilot are currently under verification by CMA Testing, a critical step to validate the approach and build investor confidence. The Bintan pilot is also highlighted as a case study in the Hong Kong Green Finance Association’s report Mobilising sustainable finance to halt and reverse nature loss, reinforcing the pilot’s relevance to regional sustainable‑finance practice and policy.
Napital, AECOM and CMA Testing welcome further collaboration with governments, developers, financiers and NGOs to scale NbS deployment, refine the NCi, and explore market mechanisms that channel capital into measurable nature outcomes. This joint force is open to partnerships that advance standards, verification protocols and digital transparency across the NbS and green finance ecosystem.
Towards a Nature-Positive Future
By aligning policy momentum, scientific rigour and digital transparency, the Natural Capital Index offers a practical, scalable route to integrate ecological uplift into mainstream investment and infrastructure decision-making. Napital, AECOM and CMA Testing are committed to advancing this agenda with integrity, independent verification and open collaboration to help build resilient economies and investable natural capital.
Contact and project resources
Media and partnership enquiries
Napital: ncp@napitalgroup.com
Project resources
