Demystifying Materiality: Hardwiring Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services into Finance - CEO Briefing October 2020

This Briefing is intended for forward­looking financial institutions to operationalise BES in the financial sector. It builds on earlier work by UNEP FI’s Bloom and Bust report3 and the TEEB reports, combined with our own analysis. This Briefing offers executives: 1 Insight regarding the materiality of BES for a diversified financial sector, by highlighting results from a new UNEP FI survey; 2 Examples ofhowfinancialinsti­ tutions currently embed BES in lending, investment and insurance strategies and products, to enhance risk management, financial performance, stability and future growth; 3 Ways in which a financial institution can competitively position itself to tap into growing environmental markets; 4 Recommendations for how BES can be further hardwired into finance and a vision for how financial institutions may account for BES in 2020.