Australian insights
Environment Protection Reform Bills passed by the Australian Parliament(Opens in a new tab/window)
The Australian Government’s Environment Protection Reform Bills were passed(Opens in a new tab/window) by the Australian Parliament. The reforms include a range of new measures, including a national Environment Protection Agency, establishing binding national environmental standards, removal of long-standing exemptions on native forest logging, and the requirement of major greenhouse-gas emitting projects to disclose emissions and reduction plans. The legislation also introduces a ‘net-gain’ approach to the approval of relevant developments and the introduction of a national standard for environmental offsets.
ABC published(Opens in a new tab/window) a video with Dr Ken Henry AC, Chair of the Nature Finance Council, where he welcomes the government’s deal to reform Australia’s environmental laws.
First Nations Disclosures Paper(Opens in a new tab/window)
The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute has published(Opens in a new tab/window) a research paper providing the first consolidated review of how First Nations rights, governance and material risks are reflected in Australia’s current disclosure landscape. It highlights major gaps across existing corporate and sustainability reporting frameworks, where First Nations materiality, governance and data sovereignty remain largely unrecognised. The paper identifies the shifts already underway, including Dhawura Ngilan, the role of RAPs, and the First Nations Minimum Social Safeguards in the Australian Sustainable Finance Taxonomy. It also outlines a practical pathway to build more credible, culturally grounded First Nations disclosures.
Natural capital enhances farm production, profitability and financial resilience(Opens in a new tab/window)
Findings from a study on 230,000 ha of farmland in Australia has been published(Opens in a new tab/window) in Agricultural Systems journal on Science Direct. The paper aims to build a better understanding of the financial implications of natural capital on farms. Researchers collected natural capital data from 114 farms via satellite imagery analysis and on-ground vegetation surveys, alongside production and financial data collected via detailed producer surveys. Findings suggest that high-performing livestock businesses benefit from high levels of natural capital. High levels of specific types of natural capital were associated with increased production efficiency of up to 3%, improved livestock gross margin, higher farm earnings, and higher levels of climate resilience.
Nature Positive Matters’ webinar recording: Building the business case for nature
Nature Positive Matters hosted a webinar on 27 November 2025 to share insights from business leaders and experts on building a business case for nature-related action. Open the link to watch the one-hour recording.
Nature Repair Market: Protect and Conserve method design(Opens in a new tab/window)
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water hosted(Opens in a new tab/window) a public webinar on 27 November 2025 to provide more information on the proposed Protect and Conserve method.
Nature: mainstream issue for boards(Opens in a new tab/window)
The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), in collaboration with the University of Sydney Business School, has published(Opens in a new tab/window) a study examining the rise of nature as a boardroom priority in Australia. It aims to provide an evidence-based foundation to inform director education, policy and boardroom discussion. The study draws on an AICD member survey and consultations, capturing responses from more than 250 chairs and non-executive directors across sectors. It finds that directors are beginning to factor nature into key areas of risk oversight, governance and strategy, and are increasingly aware of the financial and operational implications of nature loss including supply chain disruption, rising costs and asset exposure. However, the study notes oversight of nature-related risks remains fragmented, and disclosure uneven, with four in ten respondents saying their organisations have no formal arrangements in place.
International insights
WBCSD's Nature Action Portal(Opens in a new tab/window)
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has released the Nature Action Portal(Opens in a new tab/window). Created in collaboration with over 100 companies, the portal features actionable insights for five sectors – agri-food, forest products, energy, built environment, and pharmaceuticals. For each of these sectors, users can find material dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities, as well as suggested actions and appropriate metrics to use.
TNFD’s webinar on exploring nature-related opportunities(Opens in a new tab/window)
The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures has published(Opens in a new tab/window) its one-hour public webinar exploring TNFD’s discussion paper(Opens in a new tab/window) on nature-related opportunities and dives into what comprises nature-related opportunities, the positive business and nature outcomes arising from opportunities and insights from case studies. The webinar also includes a fireside chat with Ian Hudson, who led the Taskforce working group, and a panel discussion with Rabobank CLD, and Moody’s Corporation.
COP 30: The wins, the curveballs, and the roadmaps(Opens in a new tab/window)
The Climateworks Centre has published(Opens in a new tab/window) its takeaways from COP30 held in Belém, Brazil. Outputs from COP30 included the COP30 official declaration(Opens in a new tab/window) and more than 80 countries, including Australia and South Korea, signed the fossil-fuel transition statement(Opens in a new tab/window). Additionally, new nature-finance mechanisms(Opens in a new tab/window) and a Blue NDC Challenge(Opens in a new tab/window) were launched. The COP30 Presidency adopted a practical approach, reframing the Amazon Summit as the COP of roadmaps. The Brazilian president has committed to bring forward two roadmaps, on transitioning away from fossil fuels and deforestation, to present at next year’s COP31 where Australia will hold a key role as the President of Negotiations.
Nature Positive: Cities’ Efforts to Advance the Transition(Opens in a new tab/window)
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has published(Opens in a new tab/window) a report on Barranquilla's, one of Colombia’s fastest-growing cities, journey towards a nature-positive, resilient and inclusive future by redefining urban development through nature-based solutions. Once facing severe flooding, pollution and social inequality, the city is now investing over $380 million in green infrastructure, renewable energy and water management to restore ecosystems and improve quality of life. The report, which is part of the WEF's Nature Positive Transitions series, highlights how cities and sectors worldwide are advancing the Global Biodiversity Framework and fostering a nature-positive future. It offers lessons for other cities seeking to align development with biodiversity protection and climate goals.
WEF has also reported(Opens in a new tab/window) on San Francisco and Durban stepping up action to protect habitats.
WWF Toolkit to unlock financing for nature(Opens in a new tab/window)
World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) has released(Opens in a new tab/window) a toolkit that highlights the ‘landscape finance approach’ as a tested and scalable investment model that offers investors a pathway to turn nature into a risk reduction and positive-yielding opportunity. It proposes aggregating projects into landscape-level portfolios to derive smooth revenue streams across multiple activities including carbon and biodiversity credits, eco-tourism, sustainable agriculture or water services. The toolkit contains a suite of products including a white paper highlighting investors and their roles, a step-by-step place-based framework for aligning investments to landscapes, case studies and deep dives across geographies, and a manual for practitioners and civil society organisations.