Our report, Building Prosperity, focuses on Europe’s built environment and shows how a targeted set of six circular strategies can unlock billions of Euros in economic opportunity for the continent, increasing resilience, competitiveness, and the prosperity of its cities, all while providing widespread benefits to society and nature.

By strategically investing in public-private partnerships and mobilising capital flows towards circular, nature-positive solutions, investors have the power to drive impactful circular economy projects at scale, including large-scale urban regeneration projects. Their role extends beyond mere funding; they are also instrumental in pioneering and validating new value-capture models that highlight the economic viability and environmental benefits of circular practices.

Investment now will catalyse impact across and outside the built environment sector. Early-stage investment is key to getting these strategies off the ground, particularly redeveloping brownfield sites and switching to lower-impact building materials. As momentum builds, benefits will be felt outside the built environment sector, extending across the economy, society, and environment. 

Investment in a circular built environment can generate positive, measurable, and resilient social and environmental impact alongside financial return. Investment can not only unlock financial opportunities at scale, but can also reduce risks, particularly those that are climate-induced..

• Greening and protecting land represents l EUR 632 billion in economic opportunity through the avoidance of downside risk – most of this will be through the safeguarding of property and businesses that are at risk from extreme weather events

• Investing in nature restoration could yield between EUR 4 and EUR 38 worth of economic benefit for every EUR 1 invested.
• Maximising nature in cities and employing nature-based climate adaptation strategies could safeguard EUR 632 billion from loss and damage in properties and business value.

This report highlights a set of calls to action specifically for financial institutions and investors.

1. Embrace the general concepts of natural capital and biodiversity, and understand how they apply to the specific market conditions.
2. Integrate circular economy strategies into investment decisions, adapting asset classes and funds to enable large-scale urban regeneration projects. 
3. Commit to investing in technological innovation and upskilling the current workforce to spur a critical mass of built environment value chain providers across the six strategies.