September 27, 2023

• Investors Managing $23.6 Trillion in Assets Pressure 100 Companies: A coalition of major investors overseeing $23.6 trillion in funds has launched the Nature Action 100 campaign, urging 100 companies, including Amazon, Nestle, and Unilever, to take urgent actions against biodiversity loss.

• Growing Concern for Biodiversity: Biodiversity is declining rapidly, prompting nearly 200 countries to commit to conserving 30% of land and sea by the end of the decade. The Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures has also published guidelines for measuring and disclosing nature loss risks.

• Key Goals and Accountability Measures: Investors are pressing companies to address critical objectives, such as minimizing negative impacts on biodiversity and adopting science-based targets. Accountability will be ensured through third-party data monitoring, with the first progress report due next year.

A coalition of investors managing a staggering $23.6 trillion in assets has launched an ambitious campaign known as Nature Action 100, aimed at pressuring 100 companies into taking more robust actions to combat biodiversity loss.

Amoung the leading participants in this initiative are Axa Investment Managers, Robeco, the Church Commissioners for England, Storebrand Asset Management, and 186 other entities. They have jointly penned letters to these companies, urging them to take “urgent and necessary actions” to protect and restore ecosystems.

The targeted corporations, which include major players like BHP Group, Alibaba Group, Nestle, Bayer, Amazon.com, and Unilever, were selected based on their market valuations and their roles in industries crucial to reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. These industries encompass mining, food production, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and forestry.

The Nature Action 100 campaign has set its sights on generating renewed global momentum in the fight against biodiversity loss, according to Liudmila Strakodonskaya, an ESG analyst at AXA Investment Managers.

Biodiversity is currently declining at an alarming pace. In December, nearly 200 countries signed a pact committing to preserving 30% of land and sea for conservation by the end of this decade. Last week, the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures issued guidelines to assist businesses in measuring and disclosing the risks associated with nature loss.

In their letters to these companies, the investors have outlined several key goals that need immediate attention. These objectives include minimizing negative impacts on biodiversity and setting science-based targets. To ensure accountability, NA100 intends to utilize third-party data to monitor the progress of these companies, with the first report card scheduled for publication next year.

With this united front of investors, a well-defined set of target companies, and the guidance from the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures in place, the coalition believes that it now has all the necessary elements to accelerate corporate efforts to combat biodiversity loss, as stated by Peter van de Werf, head of engagement at Robeco.