Chestnut has launched Chestnut Nature Works (CNW), a new business helping developers, utilities, and communities build environmental and community foundations for data centre and industrial projects across the United States. CNW addresses local concerns about water availability, environmental impacts, and community benefits by delivering measurable outcomes including watershed restoration, protected land, and community assets. The platform combines strategic advisory services with implementation capabilities, leveraging Chestnut's experience managing natural assets for forest carbon projects. "Major infrastructure projects succeed when communities, developers, utilities, and local stakeholders work together from day one," said Ben Dell, Chestnut CEO and Kimmeridge managing partner. Unlike traditional consulting firms, CNW operates as an execution-oriented platform capable of originating, structuring, and implementing projects at scale. The business builds on Chestnut's existing nature-based carbon removal operations, which began in 2022.

ERM has helped secure $210 million in funding from JPMorgan for Chestnut Carbon's US afforestation project, marking a first-of-its-kind investment in a voluntary carbon credit program. ERM's technical advice and due diligence confirmed the project's environmental and commercial viability, aligning with Core Carbon Principles. This initiative could set a precedent for sustainable finance, potentially increasing capital flow into global reforestation efforts.