Synopsis
While the world’s attention has rightly been focused on the climate change crisis, there is an increasing awareness that a second, linked crisis, that of accelerating biodiversity loss, has huge significance for society and the future of the human race. Biodiversity loss is among the top global risks to society.
The planet is now facing its sixth mass extinction, with consequences that will affect all life on Earth. Biodiversity is declining faster than at any time in human history. The BBC recently reported that, since 1970, there has been on average almost a 70% decline in the populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. It is thought that one million animal and plant species - almost a quarter of the global total - are threatened with extinction. This contrasts with a biodiversity retention rate of 90% that is considered as being the "safe limit" to prevent the world from tipping into an "ecological meltdown", according to researchers.
Biodiversity loss is now a critical business risk for both financial institutions and corporates. Spurred on by the recommendations of COP15, governments, policymakers and financial regulators are focused on how to align financial flows with the preservation of biodiversity and how to enforce this through ESG regulatory frameworks that currently mainly target climate change.
City & Financial’s timely summit, ‘The Biodiversity and Nature Markets Summit 2023: A Practical Guide for Corporates and Financial Institutions’, will analyse the key issues involved in the round and provide practical guidance on the steps that organisations should be taking now.
speakers

Minister of State, Department for Environment
Food and Rural Affairs

Acting Executive Secretary, Secretariat
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

Co-Chair
Task Force for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)

Executive Director, NatureFinance
Secretariat Co-Lead, Taskforce on Nature Markets and Senior Advisor, Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)

Head of ESG & Spatial Finance
Space Intelligence

ESG Counsel
Linklaters

Managing Director
Pollination

Data and Analytics Technical Lead
Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)

Nature Programmes and GFI Hive Director
Green Finance Institute

Green Finance Specialist
Department for Business and Trade

Executive Director, Global Head of Sustainability
Impax Asset Management

Chief Investment Officer - Nature Based Carbon Strategy
Climate Asset Management

CEO
Earthly

Director of the Natural Climate Solutions Alliance
World Business Council for Sustainable Development, BCA Member

Chief Economist
WWF UK

Co-Founder, THE ARK, Chair of Next Generation Committee
Zoological Society of London (ZSL)

Director, Environment and Sustainability
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Head of Product
Downforce Technologies

Biodiversity Specialist in the Sustainable Investing Centre of Expertise
Robeco

Head of Impact and Sustainable Investing
Federated Hermes

Director, International Biodiversity and Climate
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Executive Director
Capitals Coalition

Head of ESG Advisory Sustainable Finance
Standard Chartered Bank

Global Director, Forests and Land
CDP

Chief Sustainable Investment Officer
Manulife Investment Management

CEO
Planet Tracker

President
GARP Risk Institute (GRI)

Chair of the Nature & Biodiversity Workstream, Future of Sustainable Data Alliance (FoSDA)
Senior Market Engagement Director, S&P Global Sustainable1

Lawyer, Corporate/Finance and Biodiversity
Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative

Programme Manager, Banking Environment Initiative (BEI)
Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership

Founder
NatureAlpha

Head of EU and International Public Policy
Aviva