ERM has teamed up with Nippon Life Insurance Company to introduce a new framework aimed at bringing biodiversity considerations into mainstream finance. Named the "Nippon Life Nature Finance Approach," the initiative is designed to shift capital toward companies that actively support ecosystem health, biodiversity restoration, and nature-positive development.

This approach is a significant step in rethinking how investment decisions are made in the face of accelerating biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. It signals a growing recognition that financial systems must go beyond climate-focused metrics and begin integrating natural thresholds that govern the planet’s stability.

Grounding Finance in Planetary Boundaries

At the core of the new methodology is the Planetary Boundaries framework, a scientific model created by the Stockholm Resilience Centre that identifies safe operating limits for Earth’s environmental systems. By aligning financial assessments with these ecological boundaries, the Nippon Life approach aims to evaluate corporate activity based not just on profit or emissions, but on its broader impact on nature.

The framework includes indicators such as Net Primary Production (NPP), the amount of biomass created by ecosystems, and human appropriation of NPP (HANPP), which reflects how much of nature’s productivity is being used or disrupted by human activity. This aligns with Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) Target 14, which encourages companies to reduce pressure on biodiversity and track progress with meaningful metrics.

The model also incorporates endangered species data and adheres to Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) safeguards to ensure investments avoid unintended negative consequences on people or the environment.

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A Vision for Nature-Positive Finance

Yasutoshi Miyamoto, General Manager of Nippon Life’s Responsible Investment Strategy Office, described the initiative as part of the company’s long-term responsibility to preserve a stable global environment. Miyamoto noted that Nippon Life had previously worked with ERM to develop a transition finance methodology for climate and is now expanding that scope to nature.

“Our vision is to help maintain the Earth’s systems within a safe operating zone,” said Miyamoto. “This framework introduces new evaluation tools that enable us to assess how companies contribute to nature restoration, drawing on both scientific research and global biodiversity targets.”

He emphasized that this framework is only the beginning. Nippon Life plans to refine its methodology through consultation with industry leaders, academic experts, and policymakers to ensure it becomes a practical tool for everyday investment and lending decisions.

Moving from Theory to Action

ERM’s Sustainable Finance Partner, Kosuke Kanematsu, highlighted the growing importance of applying scientific insights to financial strategies. He explained that the Nature Finance Approach was developed using the most up-to-date ecological and economic research to create a bridge between finance and planetary health.

“This framework shows how institutional investors can go beyond ESG checklists and actually use science to shape capital allocation in ways that support biodiversity recovery,” Kanematsu said. “We hope it inspires other institutions to raise their ambition and act decisively in support of a nature-positive future.”

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Toward a Financial System That Respects Nature

As biodiversity emerges as a major risk for global economies, tools like the Nippon Life Nature Finance Approach provide a blueprint for aligning financial flows with ecological resilience. By embedding ecosystem thresholds into investment practices, the framework moves beyond sustainability as a buzzword and begins to operationalize it in concrete terms.

Nippon Life’s leadership in this space suggests that the next wave of responsible investing will be driven not just by carbon metrics, but by a deeper commitment to living within nature’s limits.

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