The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) welcomes the establishment of a Nature Finance Council to support the Australian Government’s efforts to align private finance and investment with nature positive outcomes.

As an advisory body to the Australian Government, the Council is an excellent demonstration of collaboration between the public and private sectors to get more private capital flowing towards Australia’s national environmental objectives. The Council will help to join up policy, government programs and private capital, all of which are needed to achieve the 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework targets.

The Council comprises Australian senior leaders with diverse experience across finance, conservation, science and Indigenous perspectives. ASFI congratulates Council members on their appointment, including many of our members and partners.

We also welcome ASFI Chief Executive Officer, Kristy Graham’s appointment to the Council and we look forward to working with other Council members to bring expertise and insights from across finance, policy, conservation, and industry to drive better outcomes for nature in Australia.

Kristy Graham says:

“In Australia, there has been a growing recognition of the dependence and impacts of economic activity on our natural environment, and a growing interest in investing in nature-related opportunities. Joining up policy, government programs and private capital will be critical to achieving the ambition of the Global Biodiversity Framework and Australia’s national goals.

The establishment of a Nature Finance Council provides a structure that will enable public private collaboration to enable increased flows of private capital to nature-positive outcomes. I look forward to contributing to the work of the Council and bringing the expertise, partnerships and networks of ASFI and our work on natural capital and nature to contribute to the group and ultimately to a more sustainable and resilient economy and financial system.”

The establishment of the Nature Finance Council reflects an ongoing acknowledgement of the important role that collaboration across government, the private sector, and other stakeholders plays in achieving Australia’s environmental goals.

Earlier this year, ASFI identified the need to build readiness across the Australian financial system for nature-related risk and opportunity assessment, disclosure and reporting through engagement, capacity building, and the delivery of projects demonstrating how to overcome challenges associated with investing in natural capital.

To address this, ASFI is proud to partner with Macdoch Foundation’s Farming for the Future (FftF) on our work program, ‘Valuing Natural Capital’. This work brings together Australia’s agricultural producers and financial institutions to integrate natural capital into the decision-making of financial institutions and enable tangible on-farm outcomes.

Read the Minister’s media release.

Read ASFI’s media release below.