Financing Opportunities
Here is a non-exhaustive list of biodiversity-related finance initiatives:
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Finance for Biodiversity Pledge
Financial institutions can make the Finance for Biodiversity (FfB) pledge, which commits to 5 practical actions by 2024, including assessing impact, setting targets and reporting publicly on biodiversity impacts. Read more. FfB has also published an overview of initiatives for financial institutions, which is regularly updated, here.
Taskforce for Nature Related Financial Disclosures
The Taskforce for Nature Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) is a new global initiative that aims to give financial institutions a complete picture of their nature-related risks. In 2023, the TNFD will deliver a framework for organisations to report and act on these risks. Read more.
Partnership for Biodiversity Accounting Financials
Partnership for Biodiversity Accounting Financials was formed in 2019 by ASN Bank, ACTIAM, FMO, Robeco, Triodos Bank and Triple Jump. By becoming a member of the partnership, financial institutions demonstrate their commitment to actively pursuing a shared methodology for measuring and reporting the impact of their loans and investments on biodiversity. This allows them to calculate their biodiversity footprint and take targeted action to restore and protect biodiversity. Read more.
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Principles for Responsible Investment Collaboration Platform
A tool for investors to pool resources and collaborate around environmental, social and governance issues, including biodiversity, with a focus on engaging with companies. This platform also links academics and investors to engage in research on related topics. Read more.
Finance @ Biodiversity Community (European Commission)
The EU Business @ Biodiversity Platform was set up by the European Commission with the aim to work with and help businesses integrate natural capital and biodiversity considerations into business practices, providing insight, for example, into emerging measurement approaches. Their finance workstream led to the Finance for Biodiversity Pledge. Read more.
Equator Principles
The Equator Principles (EPs) is a risk management framework for financial institutions, for determining, assessing and managing environmental and social risk in projects and is primarily intended to provide a minimum standard for due diligence and monitoring to support responsible risk decision-making. Read more.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Finance Initiative
Join more than 350 members – banks, insurers, and investors – working with the UNEP to create a financial sector that serves people and the planet, delivering positive impacts. Read more.
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21x: Make My Money Matter
Sign the Green Pension Charter which calls for all organisations to match their pensions with their values. Creating greener investment pension portfolios helps protect the £2.6 trillion in UK pension pots from funding harm to biodiversity. Read more.
The Align Project
Funded by the European Commission, the project supports businesses and financial institutions with creating standardised approaches to measuring biodiversity and natural capital accounting practices. Read more.
Financing UK Nature Recovery Initiative
This coalition aims to support the development of nature-based markets and projects to actively mobilise funds towards nature-based solutions in the UK. Read more.
Nature Action 100
Nature Action 100, proposed by the World Bank, is being created to identify the 100 companies with the most significant impact on nature and mobilise biodiversity finance through targeted investor engagement, modelled on the Climate Action 100 initiative. Read more.
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GFI Hive
https://www.greenfinanceinstitute.co.uk/gfihive/
In line with the Green Finance Institute’s broader vision of a greener future made possible by finance, GFI Hive’s mission is to increase private investment in nature restoration, nature-based solutions and nature-positive outcomes in and for the UK.
They work with the finance sector, government, academia, environmental NGOs and land managers to identify and unlock barriers to this mission, and act as a knowledge hub on private investment in nature to increase shared learning, best practices and investment appetite.
World Benchmarking Alliance’s Nature Benchmark
https://www.worldbenchmarkingalliance.org/nature-benchmark/
The benchmark will rank keystone companies on their efforts to protect our environment and its biodiversity.
The nature and biodiversity transformation will examine how the impacts of business contribute to stable and resilient ecosystems which enable humanity and nature to co-exist within planetary boundaries on biodiversity, climate, land, oceans and water.
The benchmark assessments will measure and track corporate performance towards a nature-positive future by measuring how companies are reducing their impact and even regenerating ecosystems.
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Science-based Targets for Nature – draft targets
Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) has identified interim targets that companies can set today, in line with the best available science and our upcoming methods. Setting interim targets will ensure your company is on the right path and will count towards science-based targets for nature when available.
The identified targets are organized in the table on their website, using SBTN’s Action Framework: Avoid, Reduce, Regenerate, Restore and Transform.* They use this well-known and widely accepted mitigation framework in order to emphasize the importance of managing negative impact first, as a precursor to successful outcomes on positive contribution targets.
*Note: Actions are not the same as targets. For any given target (e.g. zero deforestation) we recommend that companies combine a mix of actions (e.g. avoid, reduce, transform) in order to bring about desired outcomes.
