Acting together to preserve biodiversity
The deteriorating health of ecosystems causes major risks to the environment. Aware of the urgency, the Group is stepping up its actions and has set an objective to play a full part in the collective effort to protect ecosystems and resources.
In March 2022, the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), supported since July 2020 by BNP Paribas, published the beta version of its risk management and reporting framework. Designed with input from the Group’s experts, this version is the first to propose a framework that helps companies and financial institutions integrate biodiversity into their decision-making and reporting processes. It thus contributes to directing the global economy towards positive impacts for nature.
Double recognition for BNP Paribas’ work
The Forest 500 report published by the NGO Global Canopy ranks BNP Paribas as the leading French bank and among the top 5 financial institutions most committed to combatting deforestation among the 150 institutions studied in 2023. Another distinction, with an overall rating of 63%, BNP Paribas was the best-rated bank, for its climate and biodiversity strategy, according to the British NGO ShareAction from among 25 European banks. The Group also came out on top for each of the two criteria, climate and biodiversity, in this ranking released in December 2022.
Publication of BNP Paribas Asset Management investments’ first biodiversity footprint
One year after publishing its biodiversity roadmap, BNP Paribas Asset Management shared in 2022 the first results of its research to determine the biodiversity footprint of its investments, following a collaboration with Iceberg Data Lab and I Care & Consult. Together, they developed a tool to identify and quantify the potential negative biodiversity impacts of portfolios companies. BNP Paribas Asset Management carried out this analysis based on the Corporate Biodiversity Footprint(1) methodology, which covers more than 1,800 companies included in its equity and bond funds, equating to 70% of its “Corporate” assets under management.
Investment solutions based on natural resources
BNP Paribas Asset Management intends to expand its range of solutions to offer investment strategies related to forestry, agriculture and natural capital. To this end, it acquired a majority stake in the Danish International Woodland Company, which has specialised in natural resources for more than 30 years.
A new edition of the Climate & Biodiversity Initiative programme
The BNP Paribas Foundation launched the 5th edition of its Climate & Biodiversity Initiative programme. This call for projects makes it possible to select and support teams of scientists in the development of their research projects aimed at improving knowledge of the interactions between climate change and the erosion of biodiversity.
(1) Methodology developed by Icerberg Data Lab to measure the biodiversity footprint of corporate securities - equity and bonds.
€6m
over three years, this is the total amount allocated to the new winning projects of the Climate & Biodiversity Initiative programme by the BNP Paribas Foundation, to finance and promote environmental research projects on climate and biodiversity.