Asking Better Questions on Nature: A Guide for CFOs

A new guide by A4S and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)

About this guide

A4S and TNFD have produced this resource to support Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) assess how nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities could affect financial performance and future business prospects.

What it covers

Designed for and informed by CFOs, this guide:

• Sets out 11 key questions CFOs should ask themselves, their finance teams and others across their organization to ensure nature-related issues are integrated into risk management, capital allocation, valuation, performance management, financial planning and strategic decision making
• Outlines the information CFOs should look for in materials and recommendations prepared by their teams, helping them prepare for increasing scrutiny from boards, investors and other stakeholders

Why nature matters for business resilience

The resilience of nature is foundational to the resilience and financial performance of businesses around the world. All business models depend on nature – directly through access to water, land, raw materials and ecosystem services, and indirectly through supply chains, customers and investments. At the same time, business activities contribute to nature loss, degrading nature’s capacity to provide the inputs businesses across sectors need from it. The risks arising from a company’s impacts and dependencies on nature can include stranded assets, disruption to operations, higher production costs, increased insurance premiums and reduced asset values.

About this series

Based on discussions with members of our CFO Leadership Network, this guide is the latest in the TNFD’s Asking Better Questions on Nature series, which also includes guides for board directors and asset owner chief investment officers.

Access this guide