The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) has partnered with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) to establish a global Nature Data Public Facility (NDPF), designed to assist financial institutions in the collection and management of nature-related data.
The sustainable finance sector is currently faced with a notable gap in tools for assessing natural value and biodiversity loss. The NDPF aims to address this shortfall by integrating the TNFD’s initiatives to gather nature-related data with WWF’s geospatial Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) consortium, developed alongside Responsible Risk. This consortium seeks to provide valuable insights into how natural value can enhance global biodiversity and collaborates with various organizations, including Ordnance Survey, Innovate UK Business Connect, Group on Earth Observations, and the University of Zurich.
Catherine Armour, Director of Data Initiatives at TNFD, remarked, “We are excited to strengthen our long-standing partnership with WWF, one of our founding members, to address the increasing demand for nature-related data in the market. This announcement highlights the importance of collaboration across the entire nature data value chain—from primary data collectors to end users—to enhance the quality, timeliness, and usability of nature-related data.”
The launch of this platform occurs in advance of COP16, set to take place next week. The TNFD plans to unveil blueprints and a roadmap for the NDPF during the World Biodiversity Summit, which will occur in conjunction with COP16.
Donna Lyndsay, Sustainability Lead at Ordnance Survey, stated, “Geospatial data is essential for understanding the effects of assets on ecosystems and biodiversity. At Ordnance Survey, we are combining our expertise in accurate location identification with the aim of ensuring trust and objectivity in geospatial ESG. This initiative will facilitate verified asset location systems in collaboration with our partners. We believe this capability is crucial for fostering transparency and linking global identifiers and datasets to safeguard nature and humanity.”