The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), working with WWF’s Greening Financial Regulation Initiative, published a report mapping the global policy landscape for nature-related regulation affecting banks and finding that adoption is accelerating, with marked regional differences. Across more than 50 jurisdictions reviewed, central banks and supervisors in at least 29 jurisdictions covering more than EUR 75 trillion of banking assets have started to consider nature risk in their prudential frameworks. Using nature-related indicators from WWF’s 2024 Sustainable Financial Regulations (SUSREG) assessment framework, the report identifies significant leadership in the Global South, citing developments in Latin America led by Brazil, Southeast Asia including Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, and some African countries such as Morocco. It also notes an influx of European measures spanning prudential, corporate disclosure and taxonomy regulation that address nature-related topics. The analysis covers both physical risks from ecosystem degradation and transition risks from economic activities misaligned with nature protection and restoration, and highlights interdependencies with wider rulebooks including taxonomies, corporate disclosures and due diligence obligations; it points to priorities for coherence including better nature data, more advanced nature-risk modelling capacity, and policies that address environmental externalities linked to drivers of nature loss. UNEP FI and WWF indicated they are exploring follow-up work on nature and policy, and WWF is developing guidance to support central banks and financial regulators on nature-related challenges including forests, water and oceans.
United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative 2025-01-16
United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative and WWF map nature-related bank regulation and find accelerating uptake across 29 jurisdictions with over EUR 75 trillion in assets
The UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative and WWF’s Greening Financial Regulation Initiative report on the growing adoption of nature-related banking regulations in over 50 jurisdictions, led by the Global South. Central banks in at least 29 jurisdictions, covering over EUR 75 trillion in assets, are integrating nature risk into frameworks. The report stresses the need for better nature data, advanced risk modelling, and policies for environmental externalities.