Nature Finance — Prof. Dr. Ania Zalewska

Prof. Dr. Ania Zalewska

Professor of Finance — University of Leicester

Director, Centre for Finance, Governance and Sustainable Growth

Director of Research, Accounting and Finance

About the Talk

Prof. Dr. Zalewska delivered a lecture on nature finance, exploring both the theoretical foundations and the quantitative dimensions of financing mechanisms for biodiversity and natural capital. Drawing on her work at the Land Use for Net Zero (LUNZ) Hub and her role leading the Green Finance Technical Advisory Group, she situated nature markets within the broader landscape of sustainable finance and green investment.

The lecture covered the economics of natural capital valuation, venture capital flows into biodiversity-related instruments, the structure and pricing of nature market instruments, and current evidence on the effectiveness of green financing mechanisms in directing capital toward nature-positive outcomes.

The presentation was followed by an extended Q&A and discussion connecting nature finance to the GREEN FINANCE project curriculum, with particular relevance to Module 4 on climate and nature-related financial risk management. The event was attended by more than 30 participants from the GREEN FINANCE consortium and the University of Twente community, joining both in person and online.

Speaker Biography

Prof. Dr. Ania Zalewska is Professor of Finance at the University of Leicester, where she also serves as Director of Research for Accounting and Finance. She holds dual PhDs in Economics and Mathematics.

Her research spans financial market regulation, ESG investing, corporate governance, and sustainable finance. She leads the Green Finance Technical Advisory Group at the Land Use for Net Zero (LUNZ) Hub, a UKRI-funded research centre. Her current work focuses on venture capital investments in biodiversity, nature markets, and the effectiveness of green financing mechanisms.

Prof. Zalewska's research has informed UK policy debates, including climate finance discussions at COP26 and hurdle rates for green energy auctions. She has held visiting positions at UC Berkeley, NYU Stern, and London Business School.