The first of a two-part BEC-HKGFA TNFD LEAP Webinar Series was hosted on 23 April by the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (“TNFD”) Hong Kong Consultation Group in a joint effort by Hong Kong Green Finance Association (“HKGFA”), Business Environment Council (“BEC”) and TNFD. The webinar attracted over 500 registered participants, specifically focusing on the “Locate” and “Evaluate” phases of the TNFD’s four-step LEAP framework to support organisations to assess, report and act on their nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities.  

Our sincere thanks to our speakers, Ms Candice Dott, Director of Market Engagement, Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD); Ms Megan Sim, Programme Officer, Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT); Ms Karen Ho, Head, Corporate and Community Sustainability, WWF; Dr. Robin Kennish, Business Unit Managing Partner, East Asia, ERM; and Ms Yiki Cheng, Assistant Sustainability Manager, Gammon Construction.

Key takeaways

• Nature and biodiversity remain focus areas for regulators, investors and corporates across Asia, despite ongoing market volatility, as their importance continues to rise on the regional agenda. 
• Practical action is essential, regardless of the organisation’s entry point. Learning by doing is both possible and necessary and taking the first step will lead to progress and greater understanding over time. Organisations should focus on incremental progress within adopting the LEAP approach rather than attempting to address everything at once. 
• We cannot wait for the perfect conditions (accurate and neat data, robust regulation, major market shifts). Action needs to and must begin now, as choosing to move forward – even imperfectly – holds greater value than inaction. 
• Nature-related risks are increasingly recognized as having a significant financial impact which makes them a material concern for businesses and investors. Framing the value chain as equivalent to assets under management can shift the perspective toward financial impact. This highlights the direct link between nature-related actions and their effect on the bottom line, supporting greater focus on nature-positive outcomes.  

Replay of the event is available on the HKGFA YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/EkFmqKoEgDo? 

Useful resources

• IBAT

IBAT | The world’s most authoritative biodiversity data

• WWF Risk Filter Suite 

WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter

• TNFD Framework 

Guidance on the identification and assessment of nature-related issues: the LEAP approach – TNFD 

• Webinar recording: [BEC-HKGFA TNFD LEAP Webinar Series 1] From Framework to Practice – Using Market Tools to Operationalise TNFD’s LEAP Approach

From Framework to Practice – Using Market Tools to Operationalise TNFD’s LEAP Approach – YouTube