TNFD starts pilot testing Nature Data Public Facility

The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) is starting a pilot programme to upgrade market access to nature data, with conclusions set to be released at COP30.

Two years after publishing its recommendations for nature-related disclosures (now adopted by more than 500 companies worldwide), the organisation is turning its attention to the challenge of collecting comparable and decision-useful data about nature impacts.

Following the release of a discussion paper on the topic at COP16 last year, TNFD has begun pilot testing to inform design specifications for a possible Nature Data Public Facility (NDPF).

Testing for Nature Data Public Facility

Until October 2025, the initiative will gather a wide range of implementation partners and market intermediaries, as well as over 40 upstream nature data providers and more than 20 downstream nature data users, who will test and refine a set of nature data principles to help define what quality means for nature-related data.

They will also test the quality of a representative sample of nature-related data sets and sources aligned with three market use cases: nature-related corporate reporting, target setting and transition planning. 

Through this work, the pilot testing scheme will help to identify priority nature data gaps that need to be addressed in terms of coverage, quality and accessibility, and refine and articulate the needs of downstream market users of nature-related data, through user experience testing of the proposed Nature Data Public Facility (NDPF). 

By COP30, TNFD will make a set of recommendations on how the proposed NDPF should be designed.

Implementation partners

Implementation partners involved in the testing include the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Icebreaker One, EY, Esri, Addleshaw Goddard, the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), IUCN, Global Canopy, Capitals Coalition, the Group on Earth Observations Secretariat (GEOS), the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), the Future of Sustainable Data Alliance (FoSDA) and WWF. 

Yana Gevorgyan, Director, GEO Secretariat, said: “Access to the right nature data, in the right format and at the right time, is essential for businesses and financial institutions seeking to assess and manage their nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities. Through initiatives like the Global Ecosystems Atlas, we provide spatial data on the state of all the world’s ecosystems – a foundational input for valuing nature and informing decisions. Collaboration across the nature data value chain is essential, and we are proud to support the TNFD’s pilot and broader efforts to make nature-related data more accessible, actionable, and aligned with user needs.” 

Tech challenge for SME nature assessment

At the same time, TNFD is launching a ‘grand challenge’ to technology providers to promote innovation supporting nature-related assessments by SMEs, in conjunction with UNDP and the Government of Germany’s International Climate Initiative (IKI).

“Unlocking the full potential of the assessment of nature-related issues requires inclusive and affordable solutions. Artificial intelligence can help small and medium-sized enterprises to take action on their dependencies and impacts on nature as well as risks to their own business operations at low cost and without excessive in-house expertise. Our partnership with TNFD in this area opens up access to nature action by enterprises and communities in emerging markets. Through partnerships like this, we are building a foundation for competitive and resilient economies,” added Maxim Vergeichik, Team Lead on Private Sector Engagement, UNDP Nature Hub.