In this episode we have invited Andrew Mitchell, Vice Chair of the task force on nature related financial disclosures (TNFD) and the founder and CEO of Equilibrium Futures to discuss the role of the TNFD, the scale of the challenge to regulate nature and measure impact, and the speed of change required. The TNFD was a collaborative project with the World Wildlife fund, United Nations Development Fund, and others to create a reporting and disclosure framework for nature.

It is imperative that everyone understands that nature is not an unlimited resource.
To make it more visible we need to measure something, in the same way we do for economic activity in relation to climate change. Metrics need to be agreed and targets set. 69% of global wildlife populations have been lost since 1970, indicating the urgency and need for change. Nature risk is really big, really fast and can affect all sectors.

In this episode we have invited our guest Mark Crathern , head of NatWest Trustee & Depositary Services, to pick three important aspects, from the very broad topic of governance, to discuss. He has chosen data imperfections, board diversity and disclosure.

Governance is important in creating a level of transparency by developing the reporting that identifies and quantifies what is happening from an "E" and an "S" perspective and the impact this is having on the world and the macroeconomic environment.

Data imperfections need to be managed to ensure governance requirements are fulfilled. Boards need to consider not just diversity in terms of gender and ethnicity but to embrace a much wider array of knowledge and experience from outside the industry, such as scientists and environmentalists, to challenge the assumptions that are being made. Finally disclosure is a critical area as although there is increased consistency in reporting standards and requirements, verifying that information and measuring impact and exposure is not always easy.

In this episode we have invited our guest David Postlethwaite, associate director, ESG at KPMG Crown dependencies to choose his top three ESG trends for 2024. He has picked greenwashing, the search for impact amongst investors and biodiversity and nature as key influences in the year ahead. Consumers and wider society are demanding more sustainable products and services and with that growth in demand comes the need to ensure that what's being sold to investors is genuinely credible. Cracking down on greenwashing is essential to maintain trust in the financial system. Impact investing was a niche strategy but the appetite for these investments is growing as the desire to invest and generate positive social and economic outcomes increases. Finally it feels as if biodiversity and nature have been on the radar for a while now but things are gaining momentum this year and there is more awareness of the need to integrate nature into the assessment of any ESG credentials.