Integrating ecosystem services in business decision making

The lecture will be divided into two parts. The first one will focus on understanding the financial, social and environmental consequences of investments in land use change, with a particular emphasis on decision support tools. These serve as guides for decision-makers, showing them the levers driving changes in land use and the related outcomes, exploring areas such as market production, financial returns, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity impact, water quality and quantity considerations, and even implications for recreation.

The second part of the webinar will explore the role of natural capital in the path towards sustainable development. After an overview of the main issues related to it, a discussion on the work of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures will follow.

About the speakers

Anne-Claire Van Den Wall Bake is Partner within the Regulatory Advisory & Reporting team at Deloitte Risk Advisory which focuses on sustainability reporting assurance and advisory including qualitative and quantitative risk management projects in the Netherlands. Her main focus area is Sustainable Finance, Sustainability reporting & Assurance and Regulatory Reporting.

Anne-Claire leads the Center of Excellence for Regulatory reporting, which enhances value creation by providing an independent platform for banks with meaningful insights and in-depth knowledge.

Ian J. Bateman OBE, US-NAS, FBA, FEAERE, FRSA, FRSB, is Professor of Environmental Economics and Director of the LEEP at the University of Exeter, UK. He has written over 170 papers in the leading international peer-reviewed journals in natural and physical sciences, economics and social science. He has been PI/CoI on over 75 grants worth in excess of £70million and has been advisor on environmental improvement to senior Government Cabinet ministers for over a decade.

Ian also advised the previous First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, has worked with over 200 private sector companies, and has been awarded an OBE for services to environmental science and policy.

Interview with Ian J. Bateman & Anne-Claire Van Den Wall Bake

C-TAKEAWAYS: Fast facts for the C-level

• Climate and nature are connected, as nature plays a role in climate stability and climate change affects ecosystems.
• Be mindful of all the regulatory changes underway.
• Rely on appropriate tools to make your decisions, so to consider both environmental as well as economic consequences.
• Look for those options which are good for the environment and good for the bottom line of your company.
• Expensive solutions are not necessarily the most efficient solutions: with the same budget you can go much further if you know the consequences of your actions.
• Assess the firm’s impact on ecosystems and understand dependencies. Prioritize sustainability and nature and set clear, measurable targets for reducing nature-related impacts.
• Embrace transparency, foster collaborations with stakeholders and peers, advocating for policies that protect natural resources.
• Invest in nature to safeguard long-term viability and address the expectations of consumers, investors, and regulators.