This webinar - Nature on the Balance Sheet, will bring together industry from the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand TNFD Consultation Group to explore the integration of nature into financial decision-making.
The session will feature opening remarks by Estelle Parker (Co-CEO, RIAA), a keynote from Tony Goldner (CEO,TNFD) on global trends and the business case for nature. Tony will also provide insights on the recently launched Asking Better Questions on Nature – For board directors guidance. The webinar will then follow with a panel discussion moderated by Guy Williams (RIAA Nature Working Group Co-Chair and Founder, Ziranjiti) and panellists including Ashley Gorst (Senior Investment Stewardship Manager, Norges Bank Investment Management), Sally Townsend (Head of Sustainability at Blackmores) and Estelle Parker (Co-CEO, RIAA). Key topics will include translating nature-related disclosures into business practice and enhancing governance and board-level engagement. The webinar will conclude with an overview from Tajeshwar Goyal (Market Engagement Lead (APAC), TNFD of TNFD resources and a summary of the COP Adoption Campaign, outlining next steps for regional adoption.
View the recording here:
Guy brings 20 years’ working in the field of business and biodiversity and currently guides the work at ziranjiti a nature based solutions and advisory firm. Guy has held global roles at some of the largest consulting firms, as well as being an integral part in the development of many nature-related frameworks and standards such as the TNFD and SBTN. Guy's work in nature finance has included the development of emerging nature credit frameworks including co-authoring the high integrity principles for the UNDP-led biodiversity credit alliance. Guy possesses a deep interest in primate conservation science, and the use of digital media and community-led storytelling to support effective conservation strategies.
Sally Townsend is Head of Sustainability for Blackmores Group with responsibility for the Group Sustainability Vision aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and is working to integrate these commitments into the core business strategy to deliver on the company’s sustainability vision for a world where people and nature thrive together. In 2020, Blackmores committed to Net Zero Emissions by 2030 and has progressed the journey to have a deeper understanding of human rights, climate resilience and biodiversity impacts across their global supply chain.
Blackmores was one of the first businesses to pilot the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures framework and is on the Australian Climate Leaders Coalition’s Nature working group.
Ashley leads work on nature for Norges Bank Investment Management, commonly known as the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund. He is responsible for the fund’s active ownership approach across land, water and oceans, as well as environmental topics in the global consumer sector. He represents NBIM as one of the 40 global TNFD Taskforce members, consisting of financial institutions and corporates across the globe. He is based in London.
Previously he was part of McKinsey & Company where he helped build its global nature practice, in particular supporting financial institutions to develop organisational strategies on nature. Prior to this, he was at Vivid Economics, a leading economics consultancy with a focus on natural resources and climate change. He holds a PhD in Environmental Economics from the London School of Economics.
Tony has significant experience working at the intersection of finance, sustainable development and diplomacy. Prior to joining the TNFD in September 2021, Tony was an adviser to government, financial sector and philanthropic leaders on a range of sustainable development challenges, including as a Senior Adviser with the World Bank Group.
As a Partner at the strategy consultancy Monitor Deloitte, Tony led the development of national reform strategies at both a country and city level and advised government leaders on the design of governance arrangements and performance management frameworks for mobilizing strategic investment capital and delivery of policy outcomes aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He was a senior member of Monitor Group’s global public sector advisory practice, has advised Fortune 500 US companies on their sustainability strategy and co-authored a seminal 2008report on the investment behavior of Sovereign Wealth Funds.
Earlier in his career, Tony worked in infrastructure development and corporate finance in Australia and began his career in the Australian foreign service including a diplomatic posting in East Africa as a representative to UNEP and UN Habitat.
With a distinguished 20-year career at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Estelle Parker brings crucial expertise in government relations, policy-making, and themes important to responsible investors, including human rights and the SDGs. As a leader driving RIAA’s research, certification, policy, standards, and working group programs, her leadership has elevated these initiatives to achieve heightened levels of professionalism, impact, and value delivery for our members, aligning seamlessly with RIAA’s strategic objectives.
Beyond her organisational impact, Estelle is a respected figure in the responsible investment landscape, serving as a strong advocate on influential global and government committees, including the Principles for Responsible Investment’s Global Policy Reference Group, the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance (as a Board member) and the Australian Government’s Natural Capital Working Group. Additionally, she serves as the Convenor of the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures official Consultation Group for Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, and the Steering Committee for the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute. She is also the Vice President of the Council of the Australian Institute for International Affairs (Victoria).
