Accounting for Nature-Positive: Conceptual Foundations for Identifying Effective Organisation-Level Metrics and Targets

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Title
Accounting for Nature-Positive: Conceptual Foundations for Identifying Effective Organisation-Level Metrics and Targets

CoPED ID
ce0a5027-673b-4c61-87cd-65da24c70d7c

Status
Closed

Funder

Value
£32,892

Start Date
Feb. 1, 2022

End Date
July 30, 2022

Description

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If humanity is to realise the vision of the Convention on Biological Diversity, of living in harmony with nature by 2050, then we must act to create a nature-positive economy. Indeed, the draft post-2020 global biodiversity framework, expected to be adopted at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Kunming, China in May 2022, articulates a global collective mission to "put biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030." Defining a clear sense of what nature-positive business can mean in practice is crucial for realising this vision. Corporate reporting on climate change impacts has galvanised the business community into transitioning towards a net zero carbon economy. Organisations across the globe have been empowered to boldly declare their intentions to become net zero carbon businesses. This is a crucial pillar in addressing climate change. The recently launched Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) can likewise provide a crucial impetus for transitioning towards a nature-positive economy, driving the business community towards becoming a vital force for nature conservation. But to achieve this, it is essential that businesses can clearly see and understand what it might actually mean for them to become nature-positive. However, there are fundamental challenges to translating the principles that have been established for disclosing climate-related impacts into the context of nature-related impacts. In many ways, the disclosure of climate-related impacts is conceptually straightforward. A tonne of carbon dioxide has the same effect on climate change regardless of where or how it is emitted into the atmosphere. Therefore, even though there may be technical challenges to overcome regarding measurement, climate-related impacts are ultimately commensurable, meaning they can be reported in quantitative terms and are directly comparable across different organisations. Conversely, nature-related impacts are not commensurable. Whilst quantitative measurement of such impacts may sometimes be possible, these measurements will rarely be meaningfully comparable across different organisations. This fundamental incommensurability makes accounting for nature-related impacts inherently complex. A central task for TNFD will therefore be to cut through this complexity by articulating a clear set of principles for translating the global aspiration of a nature-positive economy into organisation-level metrics and targets that can drive substantive action on nature conservation. This fellowship will conduct an interview and document analysis study of the TNFD informal technical expert group, which is a self-selected group of expert stakeholders from NGO, IGO and business-oriented organisations. The aim of this study will be to understand and explain the way this expert group thinks about the meaning of nature-positive business action. This study will facilitate knowledge exchange by acting as a focal point for translating between this expert group and accounting scholarship. This fellowship will thus map the space of possibilities for rendering calculable the idea of nature-positive business, building strong and credible conceptual foundations for establishing effective organisation-level nature-positive metrics and targets. If the United Nations' mission to put biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030 is not realised, the consequences for life on this planet will likely be dire. Humanity must transition rapidly to a nature-positive economy. TNFD offers an opportunity to galvanise the business community into making this transition. By enabling businesses to see and understand their place in this transition, this fellowship ultimately seeks to contribute to nature's recovery and restoration.

Subjects by relevance
  1. Climate changes
  2. Natural diversity
  3. Biodiversity
  4. Nature conservation
  5. Enterprises
  6. Sustainable development
  7. Environmental effects
  8. Environmental policy
  9. Transition economy

Extracted key phrases
  1. Level nature
  2. Nature conservation
  3. Positive business action
  4. Credible conceptual foundation
  5. Climate change impact
  6. Positive metric
  7. Positive economy
  8. TNFD informal technical expert group
  9. Business community
  10. Carbon business
  11. Draft post-2020 global biodiversity framework
  12. Effective Organisation
  13. Level metric
  14. Different organisation
  15. Carbon economy

Related Pages

UKRI project entry

UK Project Locations
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