Tony Goldner

In an era marked by escalating environmental crises, businesses are increasingly confronted with the stark reality that neglecting nature can jeopardize their future. Climate change and biodiversity loss are not distant concerns; they pose immediate risks to financial stability and operational viability. In response to these challenges, Tony Goldner, executive director of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), believes it is essential for organizations to integrate nature into the core of their business strategies.

Goldner advocates for viewing nature-related issues as critical components of risk management and opportunity identification, rather than mere compliance checkboxes. He emphasizes that understanding an organization’s dependencies and impacts on nature can unlock pathways to resilience and sustainable growth. “Nature is everyone’s business,” he wrote in a recent Reuters commentary, urging companies to recognize that their long-term success is intertwined with the health of the ecosystems on which they rely. “The resilience of business and finance depends on the resilience of nature.”

Under Goldner's leadership, the TNFD published its groundbreaking recommendations in September 2023, prompting nearly 500 entities from over 54 jurisdictions to commit to nature-related disclosures in their annual reporting—a feat that positioned nature not just as a regulatory concern, but as a vital business asset. As businesses begin to integrate these principles, they not only safeguard their own futures but also contribute to a more resilient planet for generations to come. In this way, Goldner is not just leading a movement; he is igniting a vital conversation about the essential partnership between business and nature.

Correction, Nov. 12:
The original version of this story misstated the number and scope of entities that have signed nature-related disclosures since Sept. 2023. It is nearly 500 entities in over 54 jurisdictions, not nearly 320 entities from over 46 countries.