Who are Insure4Nature?
Insure4Nature consists of three individuals who identified an opportunity to enhance and restore nature and generate new sources of environmental funding through the insurance industry.
Based in Sussex, we’ve experienced frequent flooding issues, something many parts of the UK face, which inspired our original idea: to create local insurance products for villages with a history of flooding.
Unfortunately, we quickly realised this wasn’t viable. However, while exploring how money flows through industries like home insurance, we discovered a different approach. We realised there’s a way to redirect some of that funding into projects that improve nature. Our hope is that, in turn, these nature-based solutions will help reduce flooding and address other environmental challenges the world currently faces.
How did I4N start?
In the beginning, it was just the three of us sharing ideas, discussing strategies, and reaching out to contacts within our respective networks. Between us, we had strong connections in the insurance and innovation sectors, as well as in the environmental space. Through conversations with organisations like the Rivers Trust and Wildlife Trusts, along with insurance underwriters and geospatial analysts, it became clear that our ideas were resonating.
However, we lacked financial backing, which meant we couldn’t bring our plans to life. That changed when we applied for funding from DEFRA, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. We stayed persistent and eventually secured their support, allowing us to begin our research, explore our early concepts, and start turning our strategy into something tangible.
We were likely the only organisation in that round of DEFRA funding that didn’t fit the traditional mould of an environmental NGO, such as the Rivers Trust or a local authority needing money for physical projects. We stood out and we were proud to offer a unique approach compared to others in the space.
Why use insurance revenue to solve environmental issues?
The three of us are mature and realistic enough to recognise that one of the biggest barriers to progress is action. Many people talk about wanting change and feel a sense of responsibility, most have heard David Attenborough’s words or seen something similar and thought, “The environment isn’t in a great place.”
But when it comes to actually doing something, the reality is that people often resist change. Most have a way of life they want to preserve. That’s when we realised: nearly everyone in the UK pays for insurance, and with 27 million homes across the country, there’s a huge amount of money flowing through the system. At the same time, there’s a growing need to mitigate risks caused by climate change and extreme weather.
We started exploring how some of that cash flow within the insurance industry could be redirected into restoring nature, helping to protect the very homes those policies cover. It’s a win-win: by insuring your home, you’re also helping protect the environment.
In our early research, we asked two key questions: is there enough money in the system, and can it be redirected? The answer to both was a clear yes. Another key insight was that we could support real environmental change without requiring people to change their behaviour. Homeowners don’t need to do anything differently, just choose an insurance policy where part of the premium supports nature restoration.
After all, people are already paying for insurance without knowing exactly where that money goes. This model offers a meaningful alternative, one that benefits both people and the planet.
Watch the video interview here.
What projects are you working on?
Our current work with organisations like the Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust and the Surrey Wildlife Trust is focused on helping them rethink how they approach their projects. We’re asking: if their work was funded in a new way, through longer-term, ongoing financial support—how would that change things? Would they do the same projects differently? Would they plan or deliver them in a new way? That’s where much of our current attention is directed.
We’re also working closely with another DEFRA-backed initiative called Projects for Nature, a platform showcasing a wide range of environmental projects happening across the country. The idea is to create a system where funding can come from different sources, including organisations like Insure4Nature. It works in a similar way to how corporates with ESG commitments contribute: they invest in these projects and can say,
“As a business, we’re funding real environmental work, this is where our ESG money is going.”
Any exciting upcoming projects?
One that immediately comes to mind is the creation of clean bathing beaches along rivers. Everyone is aware of the challenges surrounding water quality in the UK, so if we can demonstrate that we’re able to fund projects that genuinely improve it, we could enable people to safely swim in rivers like the Wye or the Severn. That would be a powerful, tangible outcome.
Another compelling example is the growing use of beavers as a natural form of river management. Traditionally, controlling river flow and mitigating flood risk involves expensive, carbon-intensive infrastructure like concrete weirs or embankments. But beavers, often called nature’s civil engineers, can achieve similar results by building dams that slow water flow and reduce flood risk, all in a more natural, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly way.
It’s stories like these, where nature leads the way and people see real benefits, that we’re aiming to bring to life through the projects we support.
Our ultimate aim is to measure the funding of nature restoration so people can see something different that’s benefiting them. Underlying that, there are longer-term, subtle benefits that you may not see directly, but will notice over time due to information tracking and metrics.
These changes could be seen in areas like mental health, people being more active outdoors, combating issues such as obesity, pressure on the health system, and much more.
Find out more about Insure4Nature.
Why partner with Source?
Coming from an insurance background, Adrian (Stone) was tasked with finding the right partner for us. We’re new to the industry and have unique ideas and a new vision on how home insurance could and should work. We knew it wouldn’t be easy to make the impact that we have planned from the start, but with Adrian’s due diligence and hard work, we’ve partnered with Source to make a real difference.
It’s been a revelation to work with an organisation like Source that is open to a new dynamic, actual change, and a new outlook on how insurance can work. It’s a very mutual and supportive relationship, and without it, we’d have likely stumbled further back. For Insure4Nature, it’s one of the largest steps we’ve made, where we can now display externally,
“Look, we’ve got a platform, we’ve got a model, we’ve got a brokerage, and we’ve got underwriters.”
It’s now concrete, and it’s working. That’s all down to Source, so that’s been an essential step in our journey. I’d definitely like to thank Source for everything they’ve done with us so far.
Thoughts from Source’s Director of Operations, Louise Watkins
When Insure4Nature came to talk to us at Source, it was very clear from the outset that they needed an experienced, reliable, credible partner to support them through the process. Needless to say, with 30 years of experience in the industry, we can do that for them moving forward.
It was also incredibly clear that out of all the platforms we have available, Source Go was the right choice. Our referral model fits Insure4Nature’s aspirations and goals, along with their distribution model. Insure4Nature customers can access a quick quote before moving through an online seamless journey, where they can access our panel of insurers.
What does that mean for an organisation like Insure4Nature? They can get on with what’s important to them, which is environmental projects, whilst behind the scenes, they can be leveraging our expertise to support them.
In 2025, it’s essential for us here at Source to work with partners that take a fresh approach to sustainability. As an industry, we need to think about how we address specific challenges at the root cause.
