Fixing Nitrogen: Financial markets need to focus on nitrogen, presents a detailed analysis of the shortcomings of the global nitrogen industry, which is critical for producing ammonia-based fertilisers essential to food production.

Last week, European businesses, financial institutions, entrepreneurs, NGOs and policymakers gathered at the 2023 European Business and Nature Summit (EBNS) in Milan, Italy, to discuss sustainable business models focused on biodiversity. Held one year before the next CBD COP16 (United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity), special attention was placed on empowering businesses to take transformative action to head towards a nature-positive society.

The final TNFD Recommendations on nature-related issues have just been released after two years of development. Three main changes were identified in this final version, in response to the feedback the TNFD received through its consultation rounds – engagement on social issues, disclosing sensitive locations and value chain transparency.

As negotiations for a Global Plastic Treaty are soon to enter their third round, the UN is providing the opportunity for sovereign states to tackle the global plastic pollution crisis. The Zero Draft option paper quite rightly includes a reduction in fossil-based plastic as part of the solution.

Ever thought about the true value of your simple walks in nature? This opinion piece highlights how our wellbeing, nature’s beauty, and acts of kindness often go unmeasured in economic terms. Let’s rethink what prosperity truly means.

The UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2) in Rome last week took stock of the current status of the global food system and aimed at generating further momentum on action for food systems transformation in support of Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. What should financial institutions and corporates take away from UNFSS+2?

By the end of 2023, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) will issue a consultation paper on climate-related disclosure requirements that it intends to add to international standards for capital requirements. We urge the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision to be more ambitious and incorporate broader nature risks, not only climate risk, in their upcoming consultation.

Today, on World Environment Day, we reflect on the latest round of negotiations towards a Global Plastic Pollution Treaty and what financial markets should take away from the discussions.

To have any hope of limiting climate heating to 1.50C: stopping deforestation and cutting methane emissions by 45% before 2030 are essential to meet our interlinked climate, nature and development goals and significantly reduce the food system’s GhG footprint. Transforming the energy system alone will not be sufficient.

Unfortunately, many financial institutions have been ignoring the problems of deforestation and methane emissions for far too long. 61% of financial institutions covered by Global Canopy’s latest Forest 500 survey do not have any policies to tackle deforestation in their lending or investment portfolios. With only seven years left to achieve these targets, action must be taken now.