unepfi-大海捞针的自然：在披露框架中利用与自然相关的公共数据（英）-2022.4-51页_3mb

Summary of "Nature in a haystack: Leveraging public nature-related data in disclosure frameworks"

Core Content

This report assesses the availability and suitability of publicly accessible nature-related data in five countries—Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and South Africa—for use in financial decision-making and disclosure frameworks such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). The findings highlight the current gaps in data quality, accessibility, and standardization, while also identifying opportunities for improvement.

Key Findings

Data Suitability for Financial Decision-Making

• Only 7% of the nature-related datasets reviewed were deemed suitable for financial decision-making.
• The relevance/suitability of data was low, indicating a need for better alignment with financial reporting needs.

Resolution and Scalability

• 48% of datasets lacked clear resolution information, making it difficult to determine their applicability for sub-national analyses.
• Most raster datasets with known resolution were granular enough for detailed sub-national assessments.

Temporality

• While most datasets were published after 2015, only 8% could track changes over time, limiting the ability to observe environmental trends.

Frequency of Update

• 88% of datasets lacked information on update frequency, leading to potential irrelevance for long-term assessments and reporting.

Geographic Coverage

• All five countries had national-level datasets across the three PSR (Pressure-State-Response) themes and five natural capital asset classifications.
• This indicates that national geographic coverage is generally available, though accessibility varies by country.

Accessibility

• Easily downloadable datasets were available in most countries, but technical capacity is a prerequisite for their use.
• Access to geospatial data was often limited to viewing-only formats, such as PDFs or web services, which hinders direct integration.

Comparability

• 19% of datasets had comprehensive metadata and methodology, making it hard to compare or benchmark data across sources.

Thematic Coverage

• All five countries had datasets covering the three PSR themes and five natural capital classifications.
• However, pressure- and response-related data were less available compared to state-related data.

Authoritativeness and Traceability

• 78% of datasets were peer-reviewed, mandated, or produced by national governments, but this varied significantly between countries.
• This suggests that some countries have more authoritative data, while others face challenges in verifying dataset accuracy.

Terms of Use

• 55% of datasets had unclear or restricted commercial use terms, which could prevent businesses from using them in assessments and reports.

Main Recommendations

For Disclosure Frameworks

• Flexibility is needed to accommodate varying data needs across sectors.
• Integration with national data repositories can improve data accessibility.
• Minimum data requirements should be defined, with strategies to address data gaps (e.g., using global datasets or investing in data collation).
• Technical knowledge should be communicated as a prerequisite for nature-related reporting.
• Engagement with governments is essential to align disclosure frameworks with future policies.

For Governments and Data Providers

• Standardization of terms of use and data licenses should be promoted to facilitate business access.
• Improved metadata and methodological transparency is crucial for reliable data use.
• Investment in data for underrepresented natural capital categories is needed to strengthen coverage.
• Dedicated in-country support is required to enhance data availability and institutional capacity for collaboration with the private sector.
• Promotion of open access licensing and mobilization of geolocation data can help improve the accuracy of nature-related assessments.

Key Considerations

• Geospatial formats are essential for data accessibility and integration.
• Duplication of similar datasets may help fill data gaps, especially where commercial use is restricted.
• Global datasets (e.g., Global Mangrove Watch, Global Forest Watch) can complement national data by providing time series information for monitoring environmental change.
• The Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model was used to categorize datasets, highlighting the relationships between human activity and environmental impact.

Conclusion

The report underscores the importance of standardizing, improving, and sharing nature-related data to support financial decision-making and disclosure. It emphasizes the need for a common disclosure framework that is flexible, authoritative, and accessible, while also recognizing the role of national and global data sources in filling critical data gaps. The findings are particularly relevant for the TNFD, but also for other frameworks such as the ISSB and GRI.