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Capitalist Conservation: Profit & Planet Power
22 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Firm aims to be UK's largest private landowner.
- Plans to sell premium carbon credits at high prices.
- Critics question speculative, debt-fueled growth model.
Oxygen Conservation, an Exeter-based firm, is rapidly expanding its landholdings with a "regenerative capitalism" strategy. The company has acquired 13 estates totaling 50,000 acres in under four years and plans to reach 250,000 acres within five years, aiming to become the UK's largest private landowner.
Rich Stockdale, CEO, emphasizes that their capitalist approach is designed to generate significant profits for investors by planting trees, restoring peatlands, and developing wind and solar farms. The firm intends to create a new market for premium carbon credits, selling them at prices well above the current market rate, bolstered by high environmental and social benefits.
However, campaigners and natural capital experts express skepticism, citing the company's reliance on substantial borrowing and speculative investments. Local residents near planned windfarm sites have also voiced opposition, accusing the firm of disregarding community concerns. The company's financial structure involves significant bank loans, leading to fears that projects must proceed to manage debt obligations.
