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Crédit Agricole launches Crédit Agricole Capital Naturel, a new division dedicated to preservation, regeneration and the enhancement of natural capital

  • Crédit Agricole Capital Naturel is committed to providing long-term support to businesses, investors, and local and industry stakeholders as they address challenges related to the preservation and restoration of natural resources.

  • With this new division, Crédit Agricole is using its extensive expertise to serve stakeholders involved in the regeneration of their ecosystems.

  • For the forest, its first operational focus, Crédit Agricole Capital Naturel will rely on:

  • a developer and operator of Nature-based solutions, EcoTree, with which Crédit Agricole S.A. entered into exclusive negotiations with a view to acquiring a majority stake;

  • the launch of a new fund dedicated to the restoration of forest ecosystems, “Amundi Arbora Nova”, with the objective of generating €200 million over time.

  • Timothée Jaulin has been appointed Head of the Natural Capital division.


Crédit Agricole announces the launch of Crédit Agricole Capital Naturel, a new division dedicated to the preservation, regeneration and enhancement of natural capital. Crédit Agricole Capital Naturel aims to support customers, local stakeholders and owners of natural assets in the face of growing challenges linked to climate change and the necessary preservation of natural resources: water, biodiversity, soil, forests, air, etc.

Forests, the first vertical for Crédit Agricole Capital Naturel

Forests are a strategic asset and driver for preserving biodiversity, combating climate change and regenerating the local economy. Consequently, the forest sector will be the first active vertical for this new division.

Crédit Agricole Capital Naturel will support companies, investors, forest owners and local authorities in the defining and implementing their natural capital projects. It is positioned throughout the value chain, from strategic advice to the development of forest restoration projects, including the sustainable management of forest assets, the implementation of low-carbon transition projects and the design of dedicated investment solutions.

It will draw on the expertise of EcoTree, with which Crédit Agricole S.A. has entered into exclusive negotiations with a view to acquiring a majority stake.

Since 2018, EcoTree has established itself as a leader in the restoration of European ecosystems, while promoting the development of associated ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, water filtration, and sustainable timber production.

Crédit Agricole Capital Naturel will also call on the Amundi Arbora Nova fund, dedicated to the restoration, regeneration and sustainable development of forest ecosystems.

This fund, intended for institutional investors, will invest in restoration and reforestation projects in France and Europe to strengthen their resilience, preserve biodiversity and improve their carbon storage capacities, while supporting the sustainable development of the forest-wood sector. Regions are at the heart of the fund's priorities, one of which is to create local economic value, particularly by engaging local companies to carry out forestry work. In practical terms, the fund is structured around two main types of initiatives, based on the principle of full additionality: afforestation, which involves planting trees on land that has been bare for at least ten years, and reforestation, which aims to replant trees on severely degraded plots.

The fund's objective is to mobilise €200 million over time.

From 2027, Crédit Agricole Capital Naturel will gradually expand its scope to other essential components of natural capital, including water and biodiversity.

Crédit Agricole Capital Naturel: European ambitions

In close coordination with the Societal Engagement Department, Crédit Agricole Capital Naturel brings together the expertise of the Group's business lines and retail banks[1] with the aim of supporting customers across Europe throughout the entire regeneration value chain by offering them advisory, financing, insurance, investment, project structuring and natural asset enhancement solutions.

The Crédit Agricole Capital Naturel initiative therefore meets the growing needs of:

  • companies that want to finance their projects, reduce their environmental footprint or secure their sustainable supplies;
  • investors looking for new asset classes with a sustainable investment objective;
  • owners of natural assets who want to improve the resilience and value of their assets;
  • local authorities committed to preserving their attractiveness, the resilience of their regions and the regeneration of their ecosystems;
  • savers who want to invest in these asset classes;
  • Regional Banks in their desire to provide solutions adapted to the stakeholders in the regions mentioned above and in their action to promote the economic vitality of the regions.

“Natural capital is the foundation of economic activity and regional resilience. Through Crédit Agricole Capital Naturel, we are harnessing the collective strength of Crédit Agricole to preserve and enhance natural capital. This initiative, initially focused on forests, is fully in line with our goal to be a leader in transitions and to sustainably support our customers, regions and economic sectors in the face of environmental challenges.” Grégory Erphelin, Deputy General Manager of Crédit Agricole S.A., in charge of Transformation, Human Resources and Transitions division

Timothée Jaulin is appointed Head of the Natural Capital Division

To support the growth of this strategic business, Timothée Jaulin has been appointed Head of the Natural Capital Division. In this capacity, he is responsible for managing the rollout of Crédit Agricole Capital Naturel, accelerating its development and structuring its offer. He reports to Jean-Pierre Touzet, Head of the Agri-Agro, Guarantee and Growth Capital division, under the direction of Grégory Erphelin, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Crédit Agricole S.A., head of the Transformation, Human Resources and Transitions division.  

Bio: Timothée Jaulin began his career at the French Treasury in Washington, D.C. He joined Amundi in 2012 as a Research Associate in New York and helped create the Investment Solutions team in London and then Paris. In 2017, he was appointed Head of relations with supranational entities within the Institutional and Corporate Customers Division, where he helped develop leading strategic partnerships with the International Finance Corporation, the European Investment Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. In 2020, he was appointed Head of the Business Development and Advocacy team within Amundi's Responsible Investment Department. Since September 2026, he has been Head of the Natural Capital Division of Crédit Agricole S.A.

Timothée Jaulin is a graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay and holds a Master's degree in Economic Analysis and Policy from the Ecole d'Économie de Paris.

Natural capital, a strategic asset for the future of the regions and the economy

Natural capital is the foundation of economic activity and regional resilience. Forests, water resources, soil, biodiversity and air quality provide the essential services on which agriculture, industry, infrastructure and, more broadly, people's living conditions are based. However, this wealth is currently experiencing a worrying decline. Soil erosion, the scarcity of water resources, the decline of biodiversity and even the decline of forests are gradually weakening ecosystems.
In France, nearly 670,000 hectares of forests are affected by decay phenomena, while the carbon absorption capacity of French forests has decreased by 24 million tonnes per year over the past two decades[2].
By 2050, the cost of natural disasters could increase by around 40%, reinforcing the need to develop nature-based adaptation solutions.

Through its history, its deep roots in local communities, and its mutualist model, the Crédit Agricole Group has always supported major societal transformations. Its commitment to natural capital is part of this continuity, by mobilising the Group's expertise to protect natural resources and ensure regional resilience:

  • The Regional Banks, which are key players in the regions, use their existing expertise and initiatives to support transitions and contribute to the preservation of natural capital;
  • Crédit Agricole Assurances is now the leading forestry insurer in France;
  • Amundi and Indosuez Wealth Management develop investment solutions in reforestation projects;
  • Crédit Agricole CIB is one of the leading international banks in the structuring and placement of market financing related to biodiversity and natural capital;
  • LCL and CPR AM develop savings solutions to meet carbon reduction and contribution targets;
  • IDIA Capital Investissement supports the development of the forest-wood sector through dedicated funds;
  • Crédit Agricole Transitions & Energies, through its subsidiary R3, supports companies with advice and financial engineering in dealing with environmental resilience challenges;
  • Each year, the Group's various entities fund projects that contribute to climate adaptation, the preservation of natural resources, and the regeneration of ecosystems.

This initiative is driven by the conviction that preserving natural capital is both a major environmental challenge and an opportunity to create sustainable value for regions, businesses, and investors.

 

[1] In particular the Regional Banks, LCL, Amundi, Crédit Agricole Assurances, Indosuez, Crédit Agricole Transitions & Énergies and Crédit Agricole Leasing & Factoring.
[2] Source: ONF

 

SOURCE: CREDIT AGRICOLE

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