Natural capital

The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) is a global initiative designed to guide organisations in identifying, assessing, managing and reporting nature-related risks and opportunities, with the ultimate goal of driving a shift toward nature-positive outcomes.

We provide a range of services which support with the development of a TNFD compliant nature strategy or disclosure:

TNFD gap analysis: For organisations at the start of their TNFD journey, we recommend starting with a gap analysis. The TNFD gap analysis assesses existing initiatives, such as current sustainability and climate related targets, which could be reported on within a future TNFD disclosure, and whether there are gaps. The purpose of the TNFD gap analysis is to identify where the effort needs to be focused and to set out the next steps towards TNFD compliance.

TNFD scoping: The scoping exercise is intended for organisations preparing to comply with the TNFD. As part of the scoping phase, we work closely with clients to understand the possible scope of their first TNFD disclosure, including conducting a high-level nature impact assessment to identify possible impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities across the business. This assessment helps to focus efforts on the issues most likely to have the greatest impacts on nature in the first instance.

TNFD Locate Evaluate Assess Prepare (LEAP) approach: TNFD has developed an optional approach called the LEAP approach to help businesses identify and assess nature-related issues. LEAP provides much-needed guidance for organisations on gathering and integrating the information needed to appropriately respond to the disclosures. We work with businesses to apply the LEAP approach, ensuring it is applied in a way which is proportionate to their impacts and dependencies on nature.

TNFD capacity building: We develop bespoke training sessions covering the TNFD for various audiences. These could include, for example, ‘Nature Literacy’ training for board members and directors who require a high-level overview of nature as an issue in relation to business, or more detailed training sessions for sustainability or asset managers who may be responsible for data gathering and reporting in line with the TNFD.

TNFD disclosure production: We support organisations in producing their TNFD-compliant disclosures. This can include the production of a written TNFD report or expert reviewer services, depending on the requirements.

Greengage produces biodiversity and natural capital baselines for clients seeking to develop a nature or biodiversity strategy. Setting a biodiversity or natural capital baseline is an important first step to developing a strategy, as it provides an understanding of the current state of the natural assets within a portfolio. This information can be used to model the potential quantitative enhancements from a biodiversity or natural capital perspective, through the use of specialist tools such as the biodiversity net gain metric, or natural capital metrics such as those listed in the Government’s Enabling a Natural Capital Approach guidance.

Our biodiversity and natural capital baselining service can include either remote baselining of assets using GIS datasets and aerial imagery or site survey visits, depending on the requirements. It provides all the information needed (e.g. habitat type, area, condition, etc.) to progress with the next phase of the nature or biodiversity strategy.

Greengage develops nature or biodiversity action plans at a site level. A nature or biodiversity action plan is valuable for clients seeking to enhance the biodiversity on their sites from a corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspective, or to report against biodiversity KPIs within their sustainability strategy.

Our action plan service includes a survey of the site in its current condition and the development of a bespoke nature or biodiversity action plan to improve the site. The action plans can also include quantitative modelling using the biodiversity net gain, or wider ecosystem service metrics if desired.

Our assessments are informed by site context, national and local policies, priority habitats and species, and the site’s needs for ecosystem services, as identified through the site survey and desk study data.

Green infrastructure (GI) describes the strategically planned network of multifunctional green space that exists in our towns and cities. Our urban ecologists have extensive expertise in the design and implementation of innovative GI solutions for developments, undertaking GI audits and producing GI strategies. We work with design teams to provide bespoke GI advice and designs that can feed into site-wide management plans, address planning conditions or complement ESG targets, building on our understanding of UK wide policy drivers and LPA requirements.

Greengage employs some of the UK’s leading specialists in GI and living roof design, having specified and monitored green roofs across the UK. We aim to deliver innovative multifunctional solutions, working with architects and landscape teams to maximise BREEAM land use and ecology credit achievement.

Greengage produces green infrastructure (GI) design guides which aim to support decision-making by helping to identify the most appropriate or beneficial GI intervention projects. GI design guides are primarily used by clients who want to enhance GI across their landholdings/property portfolio, apply a consistent approach to GI within new development which delivers biodiversity benefits, or measure and report on biodiversity enhancements at a portfolio-wide level.

Our GI design guides cover relevant GI interventions, habitat creation, enhancement and management options which could be implemented on sites. They include guidance on management and maintenance best practice, horticultural advice, habitat creation, beneficial planting specifications (native, drought resistant, shade tolerant, nectar rich etc), considering different site scenarios (shading, size, roof space, flood risk etc.) and incorporation of habitat features (bird boxes, bug hotels etc.) within sites. The GI design guides outline the associated benefits for biodiversity and the additional ecosystem service benefits for each of the GI features.

Greengage undertakes ecosystem service valuation (ESV) assessments using a range of tools including the Green Infrastructure Valuation Toolkit and iTree Eco. We can assess a site’s value with respect to ecosystem service provision, such as carbon sequestration, flood water attenuation, biodiversity gain and urban heat island effect reduction. Benefits can be described in financial terms, quantitative terms or through qualitative appraisals. ESV can help identify climate resilience risk factors and inform actions for management and intervention at sites, either to support new development and planning requirements, or to contribute towards ESG objectives.

Greengage provides strategic advice on rewilding and habitat bank strategy, helping clients identify the best outcomes for nature across sites within their landholdings. Our service includes a site survey visit to identify the type, extent and condition of the habitats within a site, offering a better understanding of the current state of the natural assets. We then produce a bespoke plan for the site to improve it for the benefit of nature, which may be through rewilding the land or creating habitats which are valuable to key species within the local area.

Habitat banking describes the creation of habitat banks, and the process of selling on the biodiversity units created from doing so to developers, who can then meet biodiversity net gain requirements. We can tailor our site-specific plans and advice to ensure a significant biodiversity unit uplift within landholdings. The units can then be sold to developers or used to offset a client’s own development impacts (if applicable). Habitat banking has the potential to generate revenue from land that cannot be developed on and we can provide guidance on the process of registering land as a habitat bank.

Greengage’s ESG and nature specialists work together to produce integrated carbon and biodiversity strategies for clients. There is an increased understanding that the climate and nature crises are intrinsically interlinked and cannot be tackled in isolation, therefore there’s a need for businesses to consider both their carbon emissions and their wider impacts on the natural world. There is also a vital link between carbon and nature in that habitats such as woodlands or peatlands can sequester carbon emissions.

We provide advice to ensure that nature and carbon are considered holistically within an organisation’s corporate strategy, including the following services:

• Nature-based carbon offsetting plans.
• Nature strategies to sit alongside a current carbon strategy.
• Integrated carbon and nature strategies.
• Integrated TCFD and TNFD disclosures.

Our nature expertise covers a broad range of topics and we are adept at developing bespoke research projects to achieve optimum outcomes for nature. If you’re looking for something bespoke that doesn’t align with one of the offerings listed above, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

Examples of the types of bespoke studies we’ve previously conducted:

The Royal Parks grassland and carbon study: Greengage, in partnership with the London Wildlife Trust, designed a soil carbon and fungal eDNA study, which aims to assess how botanical diversity and grassland type influence below ground soil carbon storage, soil health and fungal diversity. This research piece will provide a much-needed evidence base for furthering our understanding of how urban grasslands can play their part in tackling climate change.

Impact assessments of events on nature: We developed bespoke studies to assess the impacts on nature of events such as music festivals and fireworks displays. This included examining metal contamination in soil, to determine whether the event was increasing the contamination.