Measuring biodiversity impact means understanding how your business depends on nature, how it affects nature, and what risks and opportunities follow. The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) gives companies a framework for this. A conservation partnership can support the work, but it does not replace measuring your own impact.
What the TNFD framework is
The TNFD is a global, market-led initiative. It published its final recommendations in September 2023, closely modelled on the earlier climate-focused TCFD framework.
It asks companies to look at four things: their dependencies on nature, their impacts on nature, the risks this creates and the opportunities it opens. It sets out 14 recommended disclosures across four pillars: governance, strategy, risk and impact management, and metrics and targets.
The framework also links to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreed at COP15, which connects corporate reporting to global biodiversity goals.
How companies approach measurement
Many companies start with the TNFD’s LEAP approach: Locate, Evaluate, Assess and Prepare. In practice, that means mapping where your operations and supply chain touch nature, assessing how significant those links are, and preparing to report on them.
It is not easy work. Lack of reliable data and measurement tools has been named as one of the biggest challenges for nature reporting. Companies are usually better off starting with a clear scope than waiting for perfect data.
Where a conservation partnership fits
A partnership with a conservation organisation is not a measure of your own impact, and it should not be presented as one. What it can do is support nature-positive action alongside your own assessment.
Rhino conservation is a useful example. Rhinos are a keystone species, so protecting them supports the wider ecosystem. Care for Wild also puts communities at the heart of its approach, through jobs, education and conservation programmes.
What to check before partnering
Ask whether the organisation is a registered non-profit and how funds are directed. Ask what reporting you will receive and whether it can support your disclosures. Look for formal relationships with conservation authorities. Care for Wild, for example, works under a Memorandum of Understanding with South African National Parks.
Be careful with claims. Describe a partnership as a contribution to conservation, not as proof that your company is nature-positive.
FAQs
What is TNFD?
The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures is a global initiative that helps companies and financial institutions assess, manage and disclose their nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities.
Is TNFD reporting mandatory?
The framework itself is voluntary, but related reporting rules are developing in many regions. Check the requirements that apply to your company.
Can a rhino adoption count as biodiversity reporting?
It can support your sustainability story as a contribution to conservation. It does not replace assessing your own operations and supply chain.
What reporting can a conservation partner provide?
This varies by organisation. Ask for updates, documentation and a named contact, and confirm what Care for Wild can provide for corporate partners.
A credible biodiversity partnership starts with a clear conversation. Speak to Us About Corporate Partnerships.
