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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Research Evidence Synthesis Report 11, “Optimising Land Use Outcomes: The Role of Private Finance”, examines how investment can support more sustainable land use.
Prepared by KPMG Sustainable Futures, it considers barriers to investment and the conditions needed to connect finance with measurable environmental outcomes.
The research identifies challenges including fragmented land ownership, differing expectations between investors and landowners, and the long timeframes over which benefits may emerge. Private capital alone is not a complete solution. Public and private funding, trusted intermediaries and collaboration can help projects become more investable.
The report explores approaches such as blended finance, results-based payments and environmental credit mechanisms. Robust monitoring, reporting and verification, reliable spatial data and clear standards are central to confidence in the outcomes being funded.
For construction and development, the relevance lies in understanding how landscape-scale investment could complement good site design and long-term stewardship. These are research findings and options for further development, not new planning requirements or an automatic route to offset a project’s impacts.