Pollination is proud to be announced as the Principal Partner of the Responsible Investment Association Australia (RIAA)’s Nature Working Group for 2024.
RIAA’s Nature Working Group is a pivotal hub for Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand investors, providing access to the latest international developments related to natural capital, including the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). This platform addresses nature-related financial risks and aims to expand investment opportunities in nature. It facilitates the development of investor-led practical guides and toolkits to support RIAA members in their stewardship responsibilities to protect nature and biodiversity in their business operations and their portfolio of companies.
Simon O’Connor, CEO at RIAA says this collaboration comes at an important moment in the elevation of nature as a critical issue by the investment industry.
Investors have a significant role in delivering improvements in our natural environment in a manner that supports a strong, prosperous and thriving economy and society. The Nature Working Group has been working with our extensive network to arm investors to take steps consistent with delivering a nature positive, and net zero future. We welcome this collaboration with Pollination as our Principal Partner to support this important work that will hasten the advancement of skills and capability in the investment and finance industry. – Simon O’Connor, CEO at RIAA
In September 2023, the final TNFD recommendations for nature-related risk management and disclosure were published after two years of extensive consultations. This is a key milestone in the relationship between nature, business, and financial capital. These recommendations have positioned nature risk alongside financial, operational and climate risk, assisting with the shift of capital flows to nature-positive outcomes.
RIAA, as the Convenor of the official TNFD Consultation Group for Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, is actively amplifying TNFD to a wide range of stakeholders, using our extensive networks and leveraging our credibility in this space. Investors will have a key role to play in TNFD uptake, both as reporting entities and through encouraging and supporting their investee companies.
The Nature Working Group is an important community of practice for RIAA members to hear from experts in the field, collaborate and share leading practices on nature related issues. Since its inception in 2021, over 220 representatives of 130 organisations, including some of the largest banks and superannuation funds, have joined the Nature Working Group. These include organisations such as Pollination, BlackRock, BNP Paribas, and Macquarie Group. The Nature Working Group has also produced a variety of publicly available Nature in a Nutshell toolkits, including those related to the TNFD.
Nature is a critical and material issue and rapidly racing up the agenda of many across the investor community. With the recent release of the Taskforce on Nature Related Financial Disclosures and growing private sector efforts to align with the Global Biodiversity Framework we now have greater certainty in how we can collectively work towards a nature positive future. However, the pathway is not straightforward and its now more than ever we need a strong collaborative and progressive voice to represent investor ambition and action on nature in Aotearoa and Australia. For this reason, I am so excited to see Pollination strengthen our support for the RIAA Nature Working Group. – Guy Williams, Pollination Executive Director and co-chair of the Nature Working Group
