Understanding the essential role banks have in supporting and revitalising the natural environment, the Principles for Responsible Banking Academy (PRB Academy) has introduced a new course, ‘Applying Nature-Responsible Banking. This course is designed to provide practical approaches for banks that are engaging with or considering how to engage with nature.
Addressing the Planetary Crisis
Our planet is grappling with a triple crisis: climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity. According to The World Economic Forum (WEF), a nature-positive approach could potentially generate over US$10 trillion in new annual business value. This highlights the pressing need for banks to fill the biodiversity funding gap and contribute to environmental sustainability.
Course Objectives and Structure
The new course aims to address how banks can reduce their negative impacts on nature and transition towards more positive contributions. Its primary goal is to equip participants with essential knowledge and skills for navigating the nature-positive transition, ultimately creating better outcomes for the environment, banks, and their customers.
Aligned with The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework, the course promotes the integration of nature into strategic and capital allocation decisions. A key feature of the course is a case study involving a fictitious bank. Participants will assume the role of a sustainability expert, exploring nature-related issues pertinent to the bank. This includes assessing impacts, dependencies, and risks associated with a fictitious loan portfolio and making recommendations for a nature-related strategy.
Support from Industry Leaders
Joanne Murphy, Interim Chief Executive of the Chartered Banker Institute, expressed enthusiasm about the new course:
We’re excited to roll out this new nature course in collaboration with our partners. It builds on the introductory course on nature we introduced earlier this year. This advanced course is designed to help learners adopt a nature-responsible approach in all aspects of banking. It focuses on reducing negative impacts on nature and advancing towards sustainable outcomes for both people and the planet. Mobilising finance to support nature-positive outcomes presents new opportunities for banks and their customers. By integrating this applied nature course into existing internal training, banks can make significant progress in this vital area.
The course aims to simplify the process for banks to advance their nature-positive efforts and underscores the unique position of banks to enhance the resilience of our planet and societies.
https://prbacademy.com/courses/applying-nature-responsible-banking/
