Domestic insights
Government funding to support its target to protect 30 per cent of land by 2030
The ABC has reported(Opens in a new tab/window) that the government’s March budget will include $250 million as part of efforts to protect and conserve an additional 30 million hectares of bushland. The funding will expand existing conservation projects, which include partnerships with philanthropic organisations, state and local governments, and establish new Indigenous Protected Areas.
Accounting for Nature to launch Nxt Nature Asset Solutions
Carbon Pulse has reported(Opens in a new tab/window) on Accounting for Nature’s (AfN) plans a launch a new business venture, Nxt Nature Asset Solutions(Opens in a new tab/window) (Nxt). AfN CEO Adrian Ward spoke of the venture at the Climate Investors Forum in Melbourne. Nxt will take AfN’s environmental standards and will administer and commercialise environmental accounts. Since 2019, AfN has helped measure the state of nature across 8.4 million hectares in Australia under 23 accredited scientific methods.
Capitals Coalition welcomes Value Australia
Capitals Coalition has welcomed (Opens in a new tab/window)Value Australia(Opens in a new tab/window) as a key component of its global network of 19 regional collaboration hubs. Value Australia, led by Rayne van den Berg (former CFO of Forico), will connect leaders in business, finance and policy under the Southern Cross to value what matters in decision-making for a more resilient future economy.
Federal Court penalty against Active Super for greenwashing misconduct
The Australian Federal Court imposed(Opens in a new tab/window) a penalty of $10.5 million against Active Super for greenwashing misconduct. In June 2024, the Federal Court found that Active Super contravened the law when it claimed that it had eliminated investments that posed risks to the environment and community, including gambling, coal mining and oil tar sands. ASIC Deputy Chair Sarah Court said, ‘This is a significant penalty that sends a strong message to companies making sustainable investment claims that those claims need to reflect the true position’.
RMIT launched Centre for Nature Positive Solutions
RMIT has launched(Opens in a new tab/window) the Centre for Nature Positive Solutions (CNPS), a centre committed to addressing the world’s most urgent environmental challenges. The centre leads innovative research that transforms how we conserve, restore, and manage ecosystems, ensuring a sustainable future where both people and nature can thrive. CNPS will collaborate globally to provide guidance and solutions that empower communities, industries, and governments. CNPS will be led by Professor Peter Macreadie, a global leader in marine science and sustainability, who is also the Founder/Director of the Blue Carbon Lab(Opens in a new tab/window).
Australia’s Nature Repair Market open for project registrations
The Nature Repair Market is a voluntary national biodiversity market scheme. It encourages people and businesses to invest in projects that restore and protect our natural environment. These projects could include planting trees on farmland, re-establishing vegetation along waterways, or protecting and managing existing habitat or native vegetation. Visit the Clean Energy Regulator(Opens in a new tab/window) to learn more about participating in the market and for details on how to apply to register a project.
Fortescue and IUCN collaboration to deliver nature roadmap
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has reported(Opens in a new tab/window) on its three-year strategic collaboration with Fortescue to develop a comprehensive nature roadmap aimed at achieving a net positive impact on biodiversity. The collaboration will demonstrate how sustainable practices in the mining sector can contribute to national and global nature positive outcomes in a tangible manner.
ASFI’s 2025-27 Australian Sustainable Finance Action Plan
The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) has published(Opens in a new tab/window) its Australian Sustainable Finance Action Plan 2025 - 2027. The Action Plan sharpens focus on the most important actions necessary in 2025 – 2027 to deliver the overall vision and ambition in the 2022 Sustainable Finance Roadmap. The Action Plan is intended to be delivered collectively by financial system participants. It includes a call for corporates and financial institutions to further develop credible and ambitious targets on broader sustainability issues, including nature, outcomes for First Nations communities, and social considerations.
ABS releases Australia’s First National Ecosystem Account
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) published(Opens in a new tab/window) Australia’s first National Ecosystem Account. The Account includes estimates for the extent and condition of Australia’s ecosystems, as well as measures of selected services, and the values these services contribute to the economy. The Account finds five ecosystem services provided at least A$85 billion to support Australia’s economy in 2020-21, primarily from grazed biomass and carbon storage services. The Account is experimental in nature, showing what can be achieved with existing data sources and methods.
ALCA releases Conservation Finance Handbook
The Australian Land Conservation Alliance (ALCA) published(Opens in a new tab/window) its Conservation Finance Handbook, which has been developed as a resource to support the work of private land managers in restoring, conserving and managing Australia’s landscapes, waterways and populations of threatened species. It provides a comprehensive background to conservation finance, outlines enabling factors that lay the groundwork for scale and describes a range of conservation finance mechanisms that can scale up and diversify investment in nature.
ACCC Deputy Chair delivers keynote address on environmental claims
The Deputy Chair of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has delivered(Opens in a new tab/window) a keynote speech at the Annual Sustainability Reporting Summit on environmental claims, sustainability collaborations, and recent compliance and enforcement cases. Reflecting on the increasingly complex and fast-moving regulatory landscape in sustainability reporting, the Deputy Chair argued Australia’s competition and consumer laws need not be a barrier to genuinely investing in, and communicating about, sustainability. The speech follows recent guidance issued from the ACCC on sustainability collaborations(Opens in a new tab/window) and making environmental claims(Opens in a new tab/window).
Inaugural Green Treasury Bond Allocation and Impact Report
The Australian Office of Financial Management (AOFM) has published(Opens in a new tab/window) its first allocation and impact report for the Australian Government’s green bond programme. The report follows the AOFM’s inaugural A$7 billion issuance in June 2024 and presents allocation data for 13 eligible green expenditures across 2022-23 and 2023-24, as well as associated climate and environmental impact data. It shows A$986.2 million was allocated to expenditure on improved environmental outcomes out of the A$5.4 billion allocated in total. The remaining A$1.6 billion will be allocated in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
AICD primer for directors on circular economy opportunities
The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) published(Opens in a new tab/window) a primer for directors on opportunities in the circular economy. Circular economy principles go beyond waste reduction - they offer a strategic pathway to long-term resilience, resource efficiency, and competitive advantage. Australia’s federal government aims to double the economy’s circularity rate by 2035, focusing on high-impact industry sectors such as the built environment, food and agriculture, industry, and resources. When setting circularity goals, organisations should assess where they can make the most material impact and ground their goals in a comprehensive analysis of what is viable and achievable.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water published(Opens in a new tab/window) a blueprint for Australia’s circular economy transition in 2024.
Dr Ken Henry on net zero, carbon markets and a new economic future
Dr Ken Henry AC, delivered(Opens in a new tab/window) the 2025 Ann Moyal Lecture titled “what we must fix first” at the National Library of Australia. During this lecture Dr Henry discusses the bipartisan Australian commitment to net zero by 2050 and the bipartisan acceptance of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) as the principal instrument for delivering carbon abatement.
Dr Henry discussed the current work being undertaken in developing a nature positive ACCU scheme; a scheme that could lift farm profitability on average by 10% and would contribute to farm income diversification.
During the Q&A Dr Henry outlined the work being undertaken by the United Nations Statistical Commission, the keepers of the System of National Accounts, who are working on a new system of national accounts to better measure human development.
Unlocking nature benefits in Carbon Markets: New report on ACCUs and biodiversity
The Carbon Market Institute and NRM Regions Australia have published(Opens in a new tab/window) a report outlining how Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) can be leveraged to deliver additional nature benefits. It argues ACCUs contribute to nature outcomes but optimising carbon projects to deliver for biodiversity costs more – and there are no clear regulatory or commercial reasons for ACCU buyers to invest in nature.
The report makes several recommendations, including the development of a national biodiversity co-benefit verification standard and framework, the creation of a government fund to purchase biodiversity certificates in the Nature Repair Market and for the 2026-27 review of the Safeguard Mechanism to consider requiring covered facilities to purchase a proportion of ACCUs with biodiversity co-benefits.
CEFC and NAB partner to lower borrowing costs for farmers on the path to net zero
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) has committed(Opens in a new tab/window) A$100 million in a co-finance program with NAB to cut the borrowing costs of farmers and agribusinesses as part of Australia’s transition to net zero emissions. The CEFC’s capital will support a 1.15 per cent interest-rate discount on loans to farmers looking to reduce the emissions of their operations through a range of activities, including changed land-use methodologies.
The commitment coincides with the launch of a practical online resource – Towards Net Zero Agriculture Pathfinder – which includes information on a range of emissions-reduction activities eligible for CEFC-discounted finance.
CSIRO launches isotopic data resource to verify food provenance and sustainability
CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, launched(Opens in a new tab/window) an important new national resource of isotopic data – food’s unique fingerprint – that can be used to help protect and further grow Australia’s reputation for high-quality, safe, and sustainably-produced food. Isotopes.au(Opens in a new tab/window) consolidates a treasure trove of isotopic data from Australia’s leading research agencies into a single, open-access and trusted resource, which can be used by regulators and industry to verify a food’s provenance and sustainability claims and ensure compliance with trade regulations. Isotopic data can be used to identify where key food commodities were grown, as well as the amount of water or carbon emissions that were part of production.
Forest Futures releases policy paper on transitioning Australia's timber industry
Forest Futures – an initiative of the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation – has published(Opens in a new tab/window) a policy option paper on reforming the Australian timber industry. The paper recommends the federal government spend A$350 million to support the plantation sector and enable the industry’s transition out of native forest logging. The paper argues the funding will provide the conditions to enable Australia to become a manufacturer of plantation-sourced engineered wood products, replacing A$312 million in annual imports and creating new manufacturing jobs across regional Australia.
Global insights
SBTN launches ocean targets for the seafood sector
The Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) has launched(Opens in a new tab/window) ocean science-based targets for the seafood sector, completing its initial suite of science-based targets for nature across freshwater, land and ocean. These targets set a new benchmark and provide a clear framework for corporate action across the seafood value chain. They help companies integrate the latest marine science into their business strategies, move beyond traditional sustainability commitments, scale their action, and build more resilient seafood supply chains.
ICMM publishes good practice guide for the mining and metals sector
The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) has published a sector ‘Good Practice Guide for Achieving No Net Loss or Net Gain of Biodiversity(Opens in a new tab/window)’. The technical resource is designed for practitioners at site level and corporate professionals to help scale and accelerate the implementation of no net loss of biodiversity at operations and to strive for net gain of biodiversity. The guidance outlines a seven-step process for companies to establish a biodiversity baseline and assessments, apply the mitigation hierarchy and transparently disclose progress towards their goals. This follows the ICMM’s 5-point plan for nature(Opens in a new tab/window) that it committed to earlier this year.
Paper calls for immediate action to embed nature into economic decision making
The World Governments Summit, in collaboration with PwC Middle East, has published(Opens in a new tab/window) a paper advocating for a transformative shift in financial systems, investment models and policy making frameworks to integrate biodiversity and embed nature's value into economic decision making. The paper states that without immediate action accelerating biodiversity loss will result in the collapse of ecosystem services such as wild pollination and the provision of food and timber, causing a loss of $2.7 trillion to global GDP by 2030. By embedding the value of biodiversity in financial models, markets can help to prevent resource depletion and encourage sustainable industry growth. The paper identifies several challenges that need to be addressed to harness financial innovation including:
- standardising metrics to assess biodiversity impacts and guide investments,
- development of strategies by financial institutions that balance immediate returns with long-term ecological benefits, and
- consideration of incentives and regulations by governments to catalyse private finance for sustainable management and restoration.
GSK publishes nature plan
GSK, a UK-headquartered global pharmaceutical company, has published(Opens in a new tab/window) its plan for contributing to a nature positive world. GSK’s nature plan is interdependent with and supports its commitment and pathways for a net zero impact on climate. GSK’s approach to nature focuses on the four realms - freshwater, land, oceans, and atmosphere. It is taking action to avoid and reduce impacts across its value chain, investing in protection and restoration, and helping to drive collective action for nature.
Corporate case studies from early adopters of GRI’s biodiversity standard
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has published(Opens in a new tab/window) five case studies from early adopters of its new biodiversity standard. The case studies include practical guidance from five companies, including Coca Cola HBC and Enel, which participated in a GRI-run pilot of the standard – set to take effect for reporting on 1 January 2026. The standard helps organisations to better understand which decisions and business practices lead to biodiversity loss, where in their value chain impacts occur and how they can be managed.
European Commission publish roadmap on the future of farming and food in Europe
The European Commission published(Opens in a new tab/window) a roadmap on the future of farming and food in Europe. The Commission says it will develop opportunities for nature credits in future, building on ongoing pilot projects run by the Commission and existing schemes developed by commercial operators, so farmers can reap the benefits of innovation and new business models as complementary sources of income. It will also deliver a new bioeconomy strategy by the end of 2025 to position the EU as a global leader in the bioeconomy market.
European Commission to simplify corporate sustainability regulation
The European Commission revealed(Opens in a new tab/window) its plan to simplify its corporate sustainability regulation through proposed omnibus legislation:
- The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive – which aims to increase transparency for assessing companies’ sustainability performance – will cover 80 per cent fewer companies, remove sector-specific reporting requirements and postpone reporting requirements by two years until 2028.
- The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive – which aims to foster sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour in companies’ operations and value chains – will require in-scope companies to conduct due diligence on direct business partners only, reduce the frequency of periodic assessments of business partners to five years from annual and postpone the application of requirements by one year until 2028.
- Reporting obligations against the EU Taxonomy – a classification system defining sustainable economic activities – will also be limited to large companies and introduce the option of reporting on activities that are partially aligned with the taxonomy, which aims to foster a gradual environmental transition of activities over time to scale up transition finance.
TNFD launches new tools to support nature-related financial disclosures
The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) has released(Opens in a new tab/window) two new capacity-building tools for market participants and for third-party training providers. The first is Learning Lab(Opens in a new tab/window), a self-guided, self-paced knowledge and skill building tool, and Trainer Portal(Opens in a new tab/window), a suite of materials for use by training and education service providers. Both platforms are designed to equip businesses and financial professionals with the knowledge and tools they need to understand key concepts related to nature and business, and to help them identify, assess, report and act on their nature-related issues.
UNEP FI partners to accelerate adoption of nature-related financial disclosures
The United Nations Environment Programme Financial Initiative (UNEP FI) has announced(Opens in a new tab/window) two key collaborations to accelerate market adoption of nature-related financial disclosures. The first partnership, with the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges (UN SSE) initiative, focuses on building capacity among stock exchanges, while the second, in collaboration with the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), aims to prepare banks, insurers, investors, and real economy actors for nature-related disclosures aligned to the recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). Together, these efforts will enhance financial system alignment with nature-positive goals by providing market clarity and practical tools for nature-related financial action.
International Transition Plan Network announces members to guide transition planning
The International Transition Plan Network has announced(Opens in a new tab/window) its community-of-practice members, including the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, to support the development of global norms for private-sector transition plans. The network launched at COP29 and succeeds the Transition Plan Taskforce, which transferred ownership of its 13 disclosure-specific documents to the IFRS Foundation. Last month, the European Banking Authority(Opens in a new tab/window) and Financial Stability Board(Opens in a new tab/window) published reports recognising the relevance of transition-planning practices, including the consideration of nature-related risks, to prudential supervision.
GFANZ pauses work on nature-related net zero transition guidance
The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) – a coalition of financial institutions committed to accelerating the net-zero transition – has paused(Opens in a new tab/window) its work to develop guidance on how financial institutions can include nature in their net zero transition planning. The announcement follows recent decisions to restructure and shift GFANZ’s focus(Opens in a new tab/window), as well as lower the requirements(Opens in a new tab/window) for membership. GFANZ launched consultation on its nature in net-zero transition planning guidance in October last year.