Towards Nature Positive: Corporate and Financial Institution Practices in China

The report examines how Chinese companies and financial institutions are integrating biodiversity into their strategies, the risks they face from nature loss, and the policy mechanisms the Chinese government is using to support a nature-positive economy.

• A significant portion of the financial value of companies listed on China's stock exchanges is dependent on nature. Specifically, companies with high or moderate dependence on nature account for over half the market value of those listed on China's stock exchanges.
• Most Chinese companies are in the early stages of adopting nature-positive practices. Analysis of 2022 ESG reports indicates that over half of Hang Seng Index (HSI) companies and more than one-third of China Securities Index (CSI) 100 companies have made commitments to mitigate biodiversity risks or impacts.
• Quantifying impacts on nature remains a major challenge for businesses due to a lack of standardized metrics and the complexity of supply chains, though frameworks like the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) are emerging to address this.
• Financial institutions in China face both physical and transition risks from biodiversity loss. Transition risks are exemplified by the 'Yunnan green peacock case,' where a hydropower project on the Gasajiang River was halted due to threats to endangered species despite having proper permits.
• Some Chinese financial institutions are implementing risk mitigation tools such as exclusion lists and project financing requirements. For example, ICBC Standard Bank uses a list of banned activities, and Industrial Bank has applied Equator Principles to 1,346 projects as of 2022.
• Innovative financial products are being used to fund biodiversity. Bank of China issued a biodiversity-themed green bond valued at approximately CNY 1.99 billion, and Industrial Bank provided a CNY 70 million carbon sink loan for the Xiazhu Lake Wetland.
• The Chinese public sector is mainstreaming nature into policy through biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning and the use of Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) to value ecosystem services. Shenzhen published the first complete GEP accounting system in China, reporting a GEP of CNY 130.38 billion.

APA

World Economic Forum (2023). Towards Nature Positive: Corporate and Financial Institution Practices in China. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Towards_Nature_Positive_2023.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Towards Nature Positive: Corporate and Financial Institution Practices in China. 2023. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Towards_Nature_Positive_2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Towards Nature Positive: Corporate and Financial Institution Practices in China |date=December 2023 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Towards_Nature_Positive_2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2023towards, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Towards Nature Positive: Corporate and Financial Institution Practices in China}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Towards_Nature_Positive_2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }