Sector Action Guidance for Nature: Getting Started in the Agricultural, Forestry and Mining Sectors

About this Guidance document

Around half of bank loans go to firms at risk from ecosystem loss, prompting banks to seek innovative strategies to manage nature-related risks and support clients in taking nature-positive actions. They aim to address risk exposures and the annual billion-dollar biodiversity financing gap.

In this report, UN Environmental Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) emphasise the need for banks to consider sector-specific and commodity-level insights when evolving policies and client dialogues.

In response, UNEP FI has issued new Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) guidance focused on nature: Sector Action Guidance for Agriculture, Forestry, and Mining. Developed with The Biodiversity Consultancy and input from PRB Nature Working Group banks, this guidance translates PRB Nature Target Setting recommendations into actionable strategies.

By outlining priority actions that support clients in high-impact sectors like mining, agriculture, and forestry, the Guidance empowers banks to mitigate risks across key commodities: bauxite, copper, cattle, wood, soy, and palm oil. It complements existing action guides such as those by the Taskforce for Nature Related Financial Disclosure (TNFD), facilitating the integration of nature into client dialogues.

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