Macfarlanes’ Post

Ahead of the election on Thursday, my colleagues David Gauke and Rachel Richardson discuss the ESG policies in the Labour and Conservative manifestos in the latest Policy in Practice podcast. #publicpolicy

New year, new Sustainability & You episode. Josephine Bush, CFA ESG, ESG strategy and I are talking to David Hill CBE, founder and chair of the Environment Bank. The episode evolved all around biodiversity and the crucial importance biodiversity plays in the wider global ecosystem - it is an area with increasing focus and rightfully so as you will find out during the episode. David also outlined global economical and environmental risks and opportunities that are linked to biodiversity loss and ways of looking at different funding/ investment models to reverse the trend. #naturebasedsolutions #biodiversity #naturecapital

TNFD is live, which means companies and investors now have a globally consistent framework for managing NATURE-RELATED risks and opportunities. The launch of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) is a huge milestone, but... what do I do now? 1️⃣ Read the Exec Summary, the Final Report, or the ‘Getting Started’ guidelines (all linked in the comments) 2️⃣ Listen to my podcast episode with the CEO of the TNFD, Tony Goldner, set for release on Wednesday (subscribe to the podcast so you’ll get a notification). 3️⃣ Prepare to be overwhelmed by the complexity of measuring impacts on ‘nature’, but for importantly, embrace the huge opportunities of being an early adopter of this powerful new perspective on corporate sustainability. Nature is complex, nature is everywhere, and it’s vital that businesses begin to explore their interactions and dependencies on natural-capital and biodiversity.

🌍 In a world where the preservation of our environment is of paramount importance, Janez Potocnik, Co-chair of the International Resource Panel (IRP), highlights the crucial need to recognize our deep interconnectedness with nature. His insights from the latest "Green Deal – Big Deal?" podcast episode shed light on the intricate relationship between natural resources, climate change, and biodiversity loss.   🔊 Explore the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/djhWiY59   In conversation with Janez Potočnik and Dr. Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director-General of the European Commission’s DG Environment, our recent episode discusses the urgent need for sustainable resource use and extraction. Director General Fink-Hooijer highlights efficient resource use, while Janez Potočnik emphasizes a holistic approach to tackling scarcity. Shifting our success metrics to sustainable human needs sets the stage for balance and resilience.   We discuss the European Union's commitment to spearheading global resource policy and promoting the circular economy and how it aligns with Mr Potočnik's vision for a harmonious relationship between human activity and the environment.   #Sustainability #ResourceManagement #EUGreenDeal 🌱🌐

Is the #GreenAmendment a viable option for addressing #pollution, #environmentalracism, #environmental degradation, the #climatecrisis? I enjoyed exploring these questions on The Sustainability Journey podcast. https://lnkd.in/evPuTRza

I was on a webinar over the weekend where photographer Nick Brandt talked about his body of work, which focuses on the disappearing natural world. It was then fabulous to listen to this podcast hosted by Pat Sharman, which really brings to life many of the challenges that the financial services sector faces on biodiversity and nature-related risks. A few key takeaways : ⏩ Biodiversity provides ecosystem services that underpin everything we do: For example, air regulation, water quality, climate regulation and provision of food and medicines. Biodiversity loss puts these ecosystem services at risk. ⏩ Supply chains are important. Losing ecosystem services disrupts supply chains and creates risks for companies.  ⏩ Climate change will overtake land use change as the most prominent driver of biodiversity loss in 2050, so managing climate change will be critical in mitigating biodiversity loss.  ⏩ The challenges of biodiversity loss are becoming more widely recognised – the hard part is translating what it means from a financial perspective, and then translating this into strategic asset allocation and investment selection. ⏩ We don’t have to wait for perfect data. We can look at which sectors are most dependent on nature and then assess if companies in those sectors are using or relying in nature – to identify potential risks. Thank you, Pat, for bringing this important topic to life through this new podcast series. #biodiversity #climate #assetmanagement #pensions

2024 has started well! 🎙️One reason is that I recently had the privilege of participating in a podcast hosted by the brilliant Inger-Cecilia Mayer Labba where she gave me the opportunity to delve into my expertise regarding EU's regulatory sustainability initiatives. 📑 The discussion centered on key directives such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Green Claims, with a specific focus on the pivotal shift toward sustainable food systems. 🧐 And what about the key takeaways? 1️⃣ We must have a holistic approach. Sustainability encompasses a myriad of issues, including several social and environmental aspects. Implementing sustainable actions often involves navigating trade-offs among such dimensions. 2️⃣ Simplifying the regulatory landscape is challenging due to the technical nature and continuous evolution of directives. 3️⃣ The EU is actively (and will persist) in taking sustainable actions, compelling companies and banks to undergo a transition towards sustainable business practices, leaving little room to greenwashing. 👉🏼 Stay tuned for the podcast's release in a few weeks where we explore these critical topics in greater detail! #EU #sustainability #CSRD #podcast