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    INVESTMENT BANKING  |  3 POINT PERSPECTIVE

    The natural choice to help reach net zero

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    Contributors: Cindy Quan
    28 Aug 2024
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    Cindy Quan, Global Co-Head of the Sustainable Banking Group, considers the potential of nature-based solutions to help companies achieve their 2030 sustainability targets.

    1. Nature-based solutions can help achieve net zero

    It’s becoming clear that the energy transition alone is not enough to achieve net zero, but natural ecosystems could help accelerate progress.

    It’s estimated that nature-based solutions have the potential to provide 1/3 of the climate mitigation needed to meet the 2030 Paris Agreement goals.1

    However, annual nature-based investments need to triple to $540 billion dollars by 2030 in order to limit climate change to 1.5°C.2 Companies can start to consider nature-based solutions as part of their sustainability strategy.

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    2. Disclosures and investors are driving action

    The shift towards nature-based solutions is being driven by two interrelated factors for CEOs and boards to consider.

    First, with disclosure requirements evolving, there’s been a shift to embracing double materiality. This requires companies to disclose the impact of sustainability factors on the company as well as its own impact on natural ecosystems.

    Second, investors are increasingly considering double materiality and adhering to frameworks like the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures. This may lead investors to avoid companies that aren’t disclosing their impact on nature.

    3. Proactive investment in nature can yield more than climate benefits

    Corporate leaders are seeking ways to proactively use their balance sheets to help achieve 2030 sustainability targets via nature-based solutions.

    Early movers are carving their own paths by setting up dedicated funds, leveraging new outcome-based instruments or issuing securitised products.

    Investment in natural capital can yield both financial and environmental benefits such as reduced risk exposure, enhanced investor demand, growth and innovation, and social and economic benefit.

    Conclusion

    By focusing on nature-based solutions, companies can take a more proactive approach to decarbonisation and climate adaptation strategies to preserve the natural resources they rely on to do business.

    Source: 1. UN Environmental Programme of the World Bank. 2. Nature4climate.org

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    About the expert

    Cindy Quan

    Global Co-Head of the Sustainable Banking Group

    Cindy is presently the global co-head of the Sustainable Banking Group at Barclays. Previously, she was head of ESG Advisory for the Americas in the Sustainable and Impact Banking group at Barclays. In this role, Cindy helps clients navigate the ESG landscape to tell their story and identify pragmatic solutions leveraging the capital markets to meet their goals. Prior to joining Barclays in 2023, Cindy spent 18 years at Goldman Sachs, most recently co-leading the Sustainable Banking Group in the Americas in the Investment Banking division focused on advisory and decarbonization solutions for its clients. Previously to her time in Investment Banking, Cindy was the global head of Environmental, Social and Governance for the firm’s operational environmental and social sustainability strategies and public policy initiatives. She was responsible for overseeing the global green building portfolio, the firm’s energy and carbon reduction strategy and the local community engagement efforts with non-profit partners. She is on the board of the New York Building Energy Exchange. Cindy received her Executive MBA at Columbia and London Business Schools in 2014. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Cindy graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Facilities Management and Policy Analysis from Cornell University.

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