The £3.3m lending package will refinance an existing debt and support ongoing working capital requirements, as well as short-term business expansion plans.

Akre is currently investing in improved irrigation systems and environmental control across its nursery operations in Fife, further optimising growing conditions to increase plant health and survival rates once trees are established in the landscape. The organisation is also preparing to launch a direct retail offering, enabling individuals and organisations to participate in woodland creation and nature restoration. Alongside this, Akre is developing new technology that integrates artificial intelligence across the woodland creation value chain, helping to accelerate site assessment, planting design, monitoring and long-term forest management.

This new partnership between Triodos Bank and Akre is grounded in a joint mission to restore nature and accelerate its recovery. Triodos Bank, across its Group structure, has committed to financing EUR 500m to nature-based solutions and nature recovery by 2030.

Akre has designed and built the world’s first verified carbon-negative tree nursery, which features precise environmental control to reduce energy use and waste compared to conventional nurseries.

Renwick Drysdale, Founder and Managing Director at Akre, said:“Nature restoration and carbon removal are moving rapidly from ambition to implementation, and that requires resilient infrastructure and a reliable supply chain. At Akre, we focus on growing healthy, resilient trees from seed, so that woodland creation projects deliver long-term climate and biodiversity outcomes.

“This partnership with Triodos Bank allows us to continue improving our growing systems, expand production capacity and invest in new technology that integrates data and artificial intelligence across the woodland creation process. Together, these innovations will help accelerate the scale and quality of nature recovery projects across Scotland.”

Simon Crichton, head of Nature, Food & Resource team at Triodos Bank UK, added: “When we met Renwick and the team, and learned more about their work, we knew it was a project we wanted to get behind. Akre is a truly pioneering organisation and embodies a carbon-negative and biodiversity-positive strategy which is supported by data-driven methods, innovative technology and a true commitment to restoring nature across Scotland.”

-Ends- 

Notes to editors 

For further information, please contact: 

Ellie James
[email protected]
0117 311 0241 

About Triodos Bank 

Founded in 1980, Triodos Bank has become a frontrunner in sustainable banking globally. As an independent bank that promotes responsible and transparent banking, it does not see any conflict between a focus on people and the planet and a good financial return. Instead it believes that they reinforce each other in the long-term.  

Triodos Bank has banking activities in the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Spain and Germany as well as Investment Management activities based in the Netherlands but active globally. Triodos Bank co-founded the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV), a network of sustainable banks. Together these banks want to grow sustainable banking and its impact on the real economy substantially. 

Triodos Bank UK Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Triodos Bank NV. Registered Office: Deanery Road, Bristol, BS1 5AS. Registered in England and Wales Company No. 11379025. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 817008. VAT reg no 793493383.