Much of the talk at COP27 was around green finance – how to get money working for the benefit of the natural environment and the climate. In this talk, Matt Whitney outlined a model for leveraging green finance at the county-level to deliver against local strategic objectives. Biodiversity Net Gain in the planning system, carbon credits for pathways to net zero, Local Nature Recovery Strategies – all of these can be linked in an evidence-led local framework, with transparency and accountability at its heart, that delivers nature-based solutions, contributes to nature recovery, and results in environmental, social and economic benefits.