Periodic Reporting for period 1 - A-TRACK (Accelerating TRAnsformation through Capitals Knowledge)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-12-01 bis 2025-05-31
The European Green Deal aims “to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where … economic growth is decoupled from resource use” and, “to protect, conserve and enhance the EU’s natural capital…” In so far as it relates to natural capital and biodiversity, the Green Deal responds to the call for ‘transformative change’ made by the IPBES Global Assessment and is consonant with the ‘nature agenda’ under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the G7’s 2030 Nature Compact and the nature-related Sustainable Development Goals.
The overall goal of A-Track is to consolidate and mainstream activities to accelerate transformation in organisations, such that, by end of project, a critical mass of businesses, financial institutions, and governments, integrate the value of natural capital in their decision-making, helping to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.
A-Track’s objectives are: (1) to ensure robust conceptual framing, effective integration and synthesis of work and ensure wide-ranging engagement of key stakeholders; (2) to develop and demonstrate the use of robust information pathways that facilitate flows of biodiversity information for use in business and financial decisions, and the compilation of public and private sector natural capital accounts; (3) to strengthen the life cycle assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) footprints for products and organisations, integrating and further mainstreaming PEF/OEF with natural capital approaches and materiality assessment practices; (4) to mainstream and advance natural capital assessment and accounting in businesses for different decision-making contexts, through targeted outreach, practical guidance, training, and support for decision-makers; (5) to facilitate and incentivize the adoption and scaling of business models that contribute to nature positive outcomes, by identifying ‘archetypes’ and exploring how to scale, finance and integrate into mainstream practice; and (6) to nurture financial innovations to scale finance that contributes to nature positive outcomes based on reliable scientific natural capital data and practice.
The overall goal of A-Track is to consolidate and mainstream activities to accelerate transformation in organisations, such that, by end of project, a critical mass of businesses, financial institutions, and governments, integrate the value of natural capital in their decision-making, helping to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.
A-Track’s objectives are: (1) to ensure robust conceptual framing, effective integration and synthesis of work and ensure wide-ranging engagement of key stakeholders; (2) to develop and demonstrate the use of robust information pathways that facilitate flows of biodiversity information for use in business and financial decisions, and the compilation of public and private sector natural capital accounts; (3) to strengthen the life cycle assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) footprints for products and organisations, integrating and further mainstreaming PEF/OEF with natural capital approaches and materiality assessment practices; (4) to mainstream and advance natural capital assessment and accounting in businesses for different decision-making contexts, through targeted outreach, practical guidance, training, and support for decision-makers; (5) to facilitate and incentivize the adoption and scaling of business models that contribute to nature positive outcomes, by identifying ‘archetypes’ and exploring how to scale, finance and integrate into mainstream practice; and (6) to nurture financial innovations to scale finance that contributes to nature positive outcomes based on reliable scientific natural capital data and practice.
Work performed and overall achievements to month 18 include:
(1) Conceptual framing, integration, synthesis and engagement.
A-Track has adopted a Conceptual Framework (CF) which unites other relevant frameworks, concepts, models, initiatives and approaches supporting acceleration of nature-positive action across the private and public sectors. A-Track has also elaborated a Theory of Change (ToC) to help optimise project outcomes and impact. A-Track integrates workstreams on nature information, footprinting, natural capital assessment and accounting, business models and finance. We are engaging with businesses, financial institutions and governments, relevant communities of practice, and related initiatives such TNFD, Business for Nature and related Horizon Europe projects.
(2) Nature information pathways
A-Track has published an assessment of nature data and information needs of businesses, financial institutions and governments, developed a simplified nature information pathway, harmonised concepts from the fields of natural capital accounting (NCA) and life cycle assessment (LCA), and recommended methods for nature-related impact and dependency variables. We have started pilots on the use of public data by a mining sector business, and for biodiversity and ecosystem services footprinting.
(3) Biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) footprinting
A-Track has developed a framework to analyse the BES Footprint of products and organizations from a value chain perspective, including integration of NCA and LCA approaches. We are engaging widely on this with relevant stakeholders including the EC’s PEF Technical Advisory Board. We are working on operationalising the BES Footprint, identifying key aspects for its calculation and data requirements and availability.
(4) Natural capital assessment and accounting (NCAA) in businesses
A-Track has published an assessment of business needs in relation to NCAA. We are developing an Embed Nature programme which provides primers, case studies, and training to help companies take up NCAA in key decision-making contexts: location-focused decision-making; nature in product & service design; nature on the balance sheet; and nature-aligned business models. We have already developed a number of related case studies and a first primer on location-focused decision-making. A complementary Onboard Nature programme provides resources for businesses starting out on their ‘nature journey’. We have also published a handbook on the use of spatial nature data for screening and characterisation of locations. Training sessions are in preparation.
(5) Business models that contribute to nature positive outcomes
A-Track has identified relevant business model archetypes, with a report launched at the CBD COP16 in November 2024. Work is ongoing to further test and refine these archetypes, with planning for a series of round tables in Autumn 2025. We have started work on a nature-focused ‘innovation accelerator’ to understand how business model innovation might address key supply chain barriers in delivering a business’s nature goals.
(6) Scaling finance that contributes to nature positive outcomes
A-Track has published an assessment of why finance is not allocated to natural capital-related business activities at scale. This highlights the role of private commercial capital in addressing nature loss and the need to redirect flows of nature negative finance and scale up nature positive finance. The report reviews the range of financial instruments used for nature finance and sets out the barriers to scaling these. Emphasis is placed on the need to green mainstream finance, to enhance understanding of risks and returns involved in nature finance, and the need for robust, informative data, and knowledge and skills to utilise them. A-Track has also published a primer which demonstrates how ‘greening finance’ can already be implemented at scale using existing tools.
(1) Conceptual framing, integration, synthesis and engagement.
A-Track has adopted a Conceptual Framework (CF) which unites other relevant frameworks, concepts, models, initiatives and approaches supporting acceleration of nature-positive action across the private and public sectors. A-Track has also elaborated a Theory of Change (ToC) to help optimise project outcomes and impact. A-Track integrates workstreams on nature information, footprinting, natural capital assessment and accounting, business models and finance. We are engaging with businesses, financial institutions and governments, relevant communities of practice, and related initiatives such TNFD, Business for Nature and related Horizon Europe projects.
(2) Nature information pathways
A-Track has published an assessment of nature data and information needs of businesses, financial institutions and governments, developed a simplified nature information pathway, harmonised concepts from the fields of natural capital accounting (NCA) and life cycle assessment (LCA), and recommended methods for nature-related impact and dependency variables. We have started pilots on the use of public data by a mining sector business, and for biodiversity and ecosystem services footprinting.
(3) Biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) footprinting
A-Track has developed a framework to analyse the BES Footprint of products and organizations from a value chain perspective, including integration of NCA and LCA approaches. We are engaging widely on this with relevant stakeholders including the EC’s PEF Technical Advisory Board. We are working on operationalising the BES Footprint, identifying key aspects for its calculation and data requirements and availability.
(4) Natural capital assessment and accounting (NCAA) in businesses
A-Track has published an assessment of business needs in relation to NCAA. We are developing an Embed Nature programme which provides primers, case studies, and training to help companies take up NCAA in key decision-making contexts: location-focused decision-making; nature in product & service design; nature on the balance sheet; and nature-aligned business models. We have already developed a number of related case studies and a first primer on location-focused decision-making. A complementary Onboard Nature programme provides resources for businesses starting out on their ‘nature journey’. We have also published a handbook on the use of spatial nature data for screening and characterisation of locations. Training sessions are in preparation.
(5) Business models that contribute to nature positive outcomes
A-Track has identified relevant business model archetypes, with a report launched at the CBD COP16 in November 2024. Work is ongoing to further test and refine these archetypes, with planning for a series of round tables in Autumn 2025. We have started work on a nature-focused ‘innovation accelerator’ to understand how business model innovation might address key supply chain barriers in delivering a business’s nature goals.
(6) Scaling finance that contributes to nature positive outcomes
A-Track has published an assessment of why finance is not allocated to natural capital-related business activities at scale. This highlights the role of private commercial capital in addressing nature loss and the need to redirect flows of nature negative finance and scale up nature positive finance. The report reviews the range of financial instruments used for nature finance and sets out the barriers to scaling these. Emphasis is placed on the need to green mainstream finance, to enhance understanding of risks and returns involved in nature finance, and the need for robust, informative data, and knowledge and skills to utilise them. A-Track has also published a primer which demonstrates how ‘greening finance’ can already be implemented at scale using existing tools.
Key results to date include reports on: (1) The A-Track Conceptual Framework; (2) Data and information needs to integrate nature into decision making by businesses, financial institutions and government; (3) The use of spatial nature data to assess ecosystem extent and condition; (4) Embedding nature in business decision-making – gaps and challenges; (5) Business model archetypes that contribute to nature positive; (6) Barriers to scaling finance that contributes to nature positive.
These reports support wider integration of nature in decision-making by businesses, financial institutions and governments and delivery of the European Green Deal as it relates to nature.
These reports support wider integration of nature in decision-making by businesses, financial institutions and governments and delivery of the European Green Deal as it relates to nature.