Nature & Environment

This session will highlight the mounting nature risks and the opportunities that TNFD creates. Unpack director duties to consider nature-related risks, and learn about the climate-nature nexus and the synergies between TNFD and TCFD.

Nicola Swan, Partner at Chapman Tripp, presented The Aotearoa Circle’s new legal opinion on directors duties to manage nature-related risk. The opinion highlights current and anticipated regulatory and market trends to allow directors on the boards of Aotearoa New Zealand businesses that are particularly reliant on natural capital to stay “ahead of the curve”, drawing upon new global and local frameworks, regulations and expectations.

This session comprised a deep dive into piloting and provide participants with an understanding of what is involved in using the TNFD reporting framework. It provided participants with something practical to take away from the session – a chance to obtain preliminary LEAP gap assessment for their business.

Our first meeting included a presentation from Ariadne Gorring, Co-CEO of Pollination Foundation and independent panel member of the Chubb Review, who presented key findings and recommendations on the integrity of ACCUs and the extent to which carbon projects are currently supporting positive environmental, social and economic outcomes including for biodiversity and the participation of First Nations peoples. We also heard from Audrey van Herwaarden, Corporate Environmental Analyst at the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF), and report author, Madeline Combe, on Risky Business: How Australia’s Banks and Super Funds are Responding to the Nature Crisis.

RIAA in partnership with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water hosted the first in a series of four sessions.

Our fourth meeting for 2022 included presentations by Ben Jobson, Programme Officer at Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT), and Dr Amanda Irwin, Head of ESG Research, and Kate Bromley, Executive Director of Sustainable Finance, of FairSupply, on impact management and measurement within the supply chain, with particular focus on biodiversity and ESGs, and the role of investors.

Our third meeting for 2022 included a special presentation by Dr. Terri Janke, the first Indigenous co-chief author of Australia’s State of Environment Report 2021, and a presentation on “nature positive” in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand, with Dr. Robin Mitchell, CEO and Co-Founder of Nature Positive.