The Nature-related Data Catalyst
Responding to market demand for high-quality, trusted, decision-useful information and data on nature-related risks and opportunities
The Nature-related Data Catalyst brings together a range of actors from across the nature-related data landscape to identify shortcomings in current nature-related data and analytics, and recommend ways to accelerate the development of, and access to, nature-related data, analytics and tools. The overall aim is to improve the ease, speed, and scale of adoption of the TNFD framework, once the Taskforce launches their final recommendations in September 2023.
The Catalyst responds to the data challenges and gaps identified in the TNFD’s Data Landscape Discussion Paper released in March 2022 as part of the v0.1 beta release of the TNFD Framework.
The TNFD calls on existing providers of sustainability data, analytics and workflow tools to apply to join the Data Catalyst. By joining, participants will improve their internal understanding of the TNFD beta framework, their current and potential contributions to the nature-related data required to apply the framework, while supporting TNFD in ensuring its framework is practical for market participants to implement. A list of the current participants, now numbering over 120, can be found here.
Activities and aims
Data Catalyst participants will engage with TNFD and each other through a series of workshops, surveys and written responses to specific queries and asks from TNFD, with the aim to:
- Convene key actors around a common objective for data on nature-related risks and opportunities, including both improving existing tools and platforms and accelerating development of new tools and platforms.
- Establish a baseline for data relevance and credibility, while also identifying the desired future state;
- Identify areas for innovation where required to address gaps and overcome challenges;
- Encourage partnerships where appropriate, helping to unlock data and analytics enabling greater access;
- Set out guidance, in the TNFD’s final recommendations in September 2023, for data usage in populating metrics for the TNFD framework.
How to join
Criteria for participants:
- Be a member of the TNFD Forum (or in the process of joining the TNFD Forum) and aligned with the mission and principles of the TNFD.
- Existing provider or early-stage start-up of data, analytics, or workflow tools – not necessarily in the nature-related space, e.g. climate specialists may have functionality or technology adaptable for TNFD framework application purposes;
- Able to identify what elements of the TNFD’s proposed LEAP approach for nature-related risk and opportunity assessment and/or TNFD’s draft disclosure recommendations can be addressed with their product e.g. input, output or integrator;
- Willingness to collaborate within the catalyst for the greater good – comfortable sharing ideas and high-level methodologies on a pre-competitive basis and mindful of anti-trust requirements;
- Willingness and capacity to contribute proactively to three workshops at a minimum to be scheduled in Q3/Q4 2022 and written requests promptly;
- Willingness to volunteer time and resource – contribution to pilots, case studies, feedback on beta versions of TNFD framework etc.;
- Be representative of data landscape actors – coverage across segmentation and geographic regions.
Please refer to the Terms of Reference for all the necessary information for understanding the Data Catalyst’s role and the requirements for joining.
If you meet the criteria above and are interested in joining the Nature-related Data Catalyst, we invite you to fill out this Expression of Interest.
Activity summaries, findings and other outputs
As part of its activities, the Nature-related Data Catalyst will be periodically releasing documents summarising the findings and activities of the workshops, surveys and more.
September 2022 workshops – Summary of learnings and next steps
