Indicators for measuring and reporting corporate nature-related impacts, dependencies, and risks

Businesses are embedded within nature. Their supply chains, operations, and products fundamentally depend on and impact nature. These impacts and dependencies can give rise to nature-related risks (as well as related opportunities). However, despite growing expectations from stakeholders, most busin...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Greg S. Smith, Francisco Ascui, Anthony P. O'Grady, Elizabeth Pinkard
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-06-01
Series:Environmental and Sustainability Indicators
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665972724000199
_version_ 1797322438442221568
author Greg S. Smith
Francisco Ascui
Anthony P. O'Grady
Elizabeth Pinkard
author_facet Greg S. Smith
Francisco Ascui
Anthony P. O'Grady
Elizabeth Pinkard
author_sort Greg S. Smith
collection DOAJ
description Businesses are embedded within nature. Their supply chains, operations, and products fundamentally depend on and impact nature. These impacts and dependencies can give rise to nature-related risks (as well as related opportunities). However, despite growing expectations from stakeholders, most businesses are currently not adequately measuring and reporting on these. To date, it has not been clear whether this requires the development of entirely new indicators, or whether various existing sustainability reporting frameworks could provide sufficient information on nature-related risks. This paper evaluates the decision-usefulness of existing indicators for the softwood plantation forestry industry in Australia. Decision-usefulness is assessed against three criteria: (1) relevance and completeness; (2) faithful representation; and (3) comparability. The results show some potential for adaptation of indicators already used in sustainability-related corporate accounting and reporting, which could help reduce the reporting burden and encourage uptake. However, gaps remain in measuring the financial consequences for business from nature-related risks and in providing sufficient comparable information to evaluate performance across industries and locations. Implications are discussed in relation to recent recommendations from the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) sustainability standards IFRS S1 and S2.
first_indexed 2024-03-08T05:14:21Z
format Article
id doaj.art-9b98659a3f784892bb91c56d1ed12129
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2665-9727
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-08T05:14:21Z
publishDate 2024-06-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Environmental and Sustainability Indicators
spelling doaj.art-9b98659a3f784892bb91c56d1ed121292024-02-07T04:45:44ZengElsevierEnvironmental and Sustainability Indicators2665-97272024-06-0122100351Indicators for measuring and reporting corporate nature-related impacts, dependencies, and risksGreg S. Smith0Francisco Ascui1Anthony P. O'Grady2Elizabeth Pinkard3CSIRO Environment, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; Corresponding author.Centre for EResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI), Federation University Australia, Victoria, AustraliaCSIRO Environment, Hobart, Tasmania, AustraliaCSIRO Environment, Hobart, Tasmania, AustraliaBusinesses are embedded within nature. Their supply chains, operations, and products fundamentally depend on and impact nature. These impacts and dependencies can give rise to nature-related risks (as well as related opportunities). However, despite growing expectations from stakeholders, most businesses are currently not adequately measuring and reporting on these. To date, it has not been clear whether this requires the development of entirely new indicators, or whether various existing sustainability reporting frameworks could provide sufficient information on nature-related risks. This paper evaluates the decision-usefulness of existing indicators for the softwood plantation forestry industry in Australia. Decision-usefulness is assessed against three criteria: (1) relevance and completeness; (2) faithful representation; and (3) comparability. The results show some potential for adaptation of indicators already used in sustainability-related corporate accounting and reporting, which could help reduce the reporting burden and encourage uptake. However, gaps remain in measuring the financial consequences for business from nature-related risks and in providing sufficient comparable information to evaluate performance across industries and locations. Implications are discussed in relation to recent recommendations from the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) sustainability standards IFRS S1 and S2.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665972724000199Natural capitalNature-related risksTaskforce on nature-related financial disclosures (TNFD)Corporate reportingImpacts and dependenciesIndicators
spellingShingle Greg S. Smith
Francisco Ascui
Anthony P. O'Grady
Elizabeth Pinkard
Indicators for measuring and reporting corporate nature-related impacts, dependencies, and risks
Environmental and Sustainability Indicators
Natural capital
Nature-related risks
Taskforce on nature-related financial disclosures (TNFD)
Corporate reporting
Impacts and dependencies
Indicators
title Indicators for measuring and reporting corporate nature-related impacts, dependencies, and risks
title_full Indicators for measuring and reporting corporate nature-related impacts, dependencies, and risks
title_fullStr Indicators for measuring and reporting corporate nature-related impacts, dependencies, and risks
title_full_unstemmed Indicators for measuring and reporting corporate nature-related impacts, dependencies, and risks
title_short Indicators for measuring and reporting corporate nature-related impacts, dependencies, and risks
title_sort indicators for measuring and reporting corporate nature related impacts dependencies and risks
topic Natural capital
Nature-related risks
Taskforce on nature-related financial disclosures (TNFD)
Corporate reporting
Impacts and dependencies
Indicators
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665972724000199
work_keys_str_mv AT gregssmith indicatorsformeasuringandreportingcorporatenaturerelatedimpactsdependenciesandrisks
AT franciscoascui indicatorsformeasuringandreportingcorporatenaturerelatedimpactsdependenciesandrisks
AT anthonypogrady indicatorsformeasuringandreportingcorporatenaturerelatedimpactsdependenciesandrisks
AT elizabethpinkard indicatorsformeasuringandreportingcorporatenaturerelatedimpactsdependenciesandrisks