The London Stock Exchange today welcomes Foresight Sustainable Forestry Company Plc (the “Company”), an externally managed investment company offering direct and liquid access to the attractive investment characteristics of UK forestry and afforestation projects.

The Company provides investors with the opportunity for real returns and capital appreciation driven by the prevailing global imbalance between supply and demand for timber; the inflation-protection qualities of UK land freeholds; and biological tree growth of 3% to 4% not correlated to financial markets. It also offers outstanding sustainability and ESG attributes and access to carbon units related to carbon sequestration from new afforestation planting. The Company targets value creation as the afforestation projects successfully achieve development milestones in the process of converting open ground into established commercial forest and woodland areas.  The Company is targeting a Net Asset Value total return of more than CPI + 5 per cent. per annum on a rolling five-year basis, based on Net Asset Value once the Company is substantially invested. The Company intends to invest in Forestry Assets with cash flow typically re-invested for further accretive growth.

Type of issue:  Initial public offering (“IPO”) via institutional placing and offer for subscription and intermediaries offer on the Premium Segment of the Official List and the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange

Pricing:  Target issue of up to 200 million ordinary shares (the "Ordinary Shares") at an initial issue price of 100 pence per Ordinary Share (the "Issue Price") (the "Initial Issue").

Capital raised:  £130 million

The Company estimates that the IPO proceeds will directly enable c.4 million tonnes of carbon sequestration from the atmosphere from new afforestation planting. The Company will seek to make a direct contribution in the fight against climate change through forestry and afforestation carbon sequestration initiatives and will seek opportunities to preserve and enhance natural capital and biodiversity across its portfolio.

The Company will be managed by Foresight Group LLP (the "Investment Manager" or "Foresight Group") and intends to carry on business as an investment trust. Foresight Group is an established sustainable infrastructure and natural capital investment specialist that already manages c.£8.1 billion, c.£6.5 billion of which is within sustainable infrastructure and natural capital assets, including forestry. The Foresight Group has a robust track record of managing listed investment companies and is the investment adviser to five listed investment companies. Of these, the largest two sustainable investment companies are Foresight Solar Fund Limited and JLEN Environmental Assets Group Limited, with a combined Gross Asset Value as at 30 June 2021 of c. £2.0 billion, each trading at a premium and with a history of consistent payment of growing dividends and strong active asset management.