TNFD joins key stakeholders in initiative to define ‘nature positive’

The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), The Nature Conservancy, Nature Finance, WWF and Business for Nature are among the participants of an initiative looking to create a common definition of “nature positive”, Responsible Investor can reveal. 

There is a growing focus on the term “nature positive” and the need to clarify what exactly it means and represents. In the run-up to COP15, stakeholders called for it to be codified in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework to ensure consistency and avoid it becoming a vehicle for greenwashing or marketing ploys.

However, although the goal of halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030 was in the final Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, “nature positive” as a term did not receive an official definition. 

RI understands the organisations involved in the Nature Positive Initiative, set to be launched tomorrow (6 September), decided that they needed to coalesce and drive alignment around the definition, integrity and use of the term.

A priority will be to support the rollout of the common definition, metrics, and standardised tools and practices to enable stakeholders to measure and report on their nature-positive impacts and contributions. 

The initiative will also support broader, longer-term efforts to deliver nature-positive outcomes, and advocate for and support the full implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by governments and other stakeholders. 

RI understands that there are 26 participating organisations, including the TNFD, The Nature Conservancy, Nature Finance, WWF, and Business for Nature behind the new initiative. 

Emily McKenzie, TNFD’s technical director, told RI that the initiative is a diverse partnership of environmental NGOs, civil society organisations, sustainable business platforms, standard setting organisations, research institutes, along with Indigenous peoples and local government organisations “coming together to support the global goal of nature positive by 2030”. 

RI understands that this core group of organisations will be tasked with setting the initiative’s strategic direction, policy positions, and joint activities.

They will also be responsible for convening, liaising with and coordinating the active engagement of a much broader and inclusive constituency of partner organisations to ensure all stakeholders’ views are considered and to help support efforts to deliver nature-positive outcomes across society.

Eva Zabey, CEO of Business for Nature, told RI that the coalition is getting involved because “the term ‘nature positive’ needs to be correctly understood, used and communicated by all, including businesses and financial institutions, meaning we need integrity, convergence and consistency of the definition”. 

In addition to the initiative, an NPI Partnership will be launched in the coming weeks. This will be open to all relevant institutions and organisations who want to support and implement the global goal for nature, by pledging their support.