In the latest episode, Vincent talks to Sam Rowland, Programme Manager for Nature at SBN, and Kirsty Brennan, Environmental and Sustainability Business Partner at the Lyttleton Port Company. Read on for an edited snippet of the conversation, or listen to the full episode here.
Podcast: The Business of Nature – with Sam Rowland and Kirsty Brennan (edited excerpt)
Vincent:
“We are part of nature and a holistic regenerative economy places nature at its core. But what does that mean for business? How do companies incorporate nature dependency and nature opportunity into the strategy?
“Sam, you have a major conference coming up on this, the Nature and Business Symposium, tell us a little bit about that.”
Sam:
“Thanks, Vincent. We do have a very exciting Nature and Business Symposium coming up in Auckland on the 14th of August.
“According to our research, 82% of businesses said they want to do the right thing for nature, but they really don't know how. They told us they want to learn from other businesses, and understand the value they get from taking nature action.
“And so we've used that to pull this event together, showcasing SMEs and corporates that have regeneration at the heart of their business models, as well as extractive industries that are really undertaking some great work for nature within their business operations. We're also looking at highlighting innovative models of partnership and bringing together business, tangata whenua and NGOs.
“At the end of this event, every participant will be able to understand how nature can add value to their organisation, and how they can take practical actions for nature now.”
Vincent:
“Maybe you could tell us about this acronym I keep hearing - TNFD, the Fask Force for Nature Financial Disclosure. Sam, tell us about that.”
Sam:
“The Task Force for Nature-Related Financial Disclosures or TNFD is a framework for organisations to report and act on their nature-related impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities and then integrate that into their decision making.
“All businesses rely on nature and all businesses impact nature too, and TNFD can really be quite complicated. I hear from a lot of businesses that it is quite complex to get to get your head around. But actually, a lot of businesses may not even need to do TNFD at all. But as a business, we really need to understand how we can take practical actions for nature that are meaningful. How can we assess our business's relationship with nature? We need to understand how we can avoid and mitigate impacts and capitalise on opportunities.
“The loss of nature is happening at a really unprecedented rate in human history, we're losing nature faster than we ever have before. It's not just an environmental issue. It's an economic issue. That's a business financial issue. And nature really is the foundation of life. We rely on that for our health and wellbeing and our livelihood.”
Vincent:
“Kirsty, you're in quite a gritty business stevedoring and running a port. It's a very fundamental, tough business to be in, but you're pioneering nature reporting. Tell me about your journey into this. What are some of the initiatives that you've taken?”
Kirsty:
“Following the earthquakes in 2011, the Lyttelton Port Company had damaged infrastructure, which we needed to repair. But we also put together a plan for the port, and it was through that process between 2011 and 2015, where we needed to make a commitment to our communities, to tangata whenua, for a healthier harbour. Through that process, our board at the time signed off on a commitment to be biodiversity positive in 2019. So that's where our journey started.
“Whilst we've been taking actions towards biodiversity positive since that time, the introduction of the TNFD framework has allowed nature to be embedded as part of business as usual. So, whilst we were already on that pathway towards biodiversity positive, the TNFD enables that elevation of the value of nature through the business and that long-term commitment towards action.”
Vincent:
“I suppose in the past, this might have been called Corporate Social Responsibility, where you're just doing your bit to reduce your impact on the environment. But this sounds new. What's different about it for you as an organisation?”
Kirsty:
“There are two parts to it. We're committed under a partnership called Whaka Ora, which is a partnership between mana whenua and key stakeholders in the catchment. And, we're committed to contributing towards restoration projects that are very focused around key aspects of hauora health, which is an annual commitment.
“We're also committed as part of our business strategy to undertake actions. Those sorts of actions include implementing treatment of water pollution with our stormwater outlets to prevent pollutants; improving habitat for our species that would naturally reside here, like the lizard habitat in the terrestrial environment; making sure that we're eliminating predators, both on the land but also in the marine environment; and having a marine biosecurity plan.
“Those are the sorts of actions that we are already undertaking, but we intend to put together a biodiversity-positive roadmap, and with that, introducing other aspects of avoiding and reducing nature loss, as well as restoring nature, and transforming how we collaborate with others.”