CGC panel session stream archive at COP30 Standards Pavilion: Nature on the Balance Sheet -Process and Roadmap- is now available on on The University of Tokyo’s YouTube channel.
CGC panel session stream archive at COP30
CGC panel session at COP30 Standards Pavilion: Nature on the Balance Sheet -Process and Roadmap- held
On November 12, 2025, the Center for Global Commons hosted a panel session live stream, at the Standards Pavilion during the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.
This session focused on Step 4 (Market pricing of natural capital assets and liabilities) and Step 5 (Codification and promotion of natural capital valuation) of the Nature on the Balance Sheet initiative (NoBS)* implemented jointly by the Center for Global Commons and its international partners and discussed challenges and prospects for accelerating the process and roadmap. The panel discussion by experts introduced case studies including the Nature Strategy by the Canadian Government, the Green Finance Framework by the Chinese Government, and agricultural sector investments by Rabobank. The discussion demonstrated that international standardization and regulations are essential for incorporating natural capital valuation into decision-making and promoting investments. The session also underlined the importance of collaboration among a broad range of stakeholders (including regulators, policymakers, rating agencies, and investors) for accelerating the NoBS initiative.
(*For details on the NoBS initiative, please watch the CGC session at the COP30 Japan Pavilion.)
Speakers
Moderator:
–ISHII Naoko (Professor and Director, Center for Global Commons, The University of Tokyo）
Panelists:
–The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, and Minister responsible for Official Languages
–Ma Jun, Founder and President, Institute of Finance and Sustainability
–Lieke Verhofstad, Global Strategic Relations & Partnerships, Rabobank
–Mark Gough, CEO, Capitals Coalition
Related link
COP30 Standards Pavilion program site: https://www.standardspavilion.org/home.html#programme
The Center for Global Commons will host the panel session during the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.
Session Overview
Date & Time: Wednesday, November 12th, 2025, 8:15 – 9:15 am local time (20:15 – 21:15 JST) Location: Standards Pavilion at the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30), BLUE ZONE, PV-C86, Belém, Brazil
[Onsite] Those who already have access to the COP30 Blue Zone, PV-C86 are allowed to participate. [Online] COP30 Standards Pavilion Live Stream (YouTube) Nature on the “Balance Sheet”: Process and Roadmap https://www.youtube.com/live/6TTCLSQI0wQ
Organizer: Center for Global Commons at the University of Tokyo (Institute for Future Initiatives) Language: English Seminar title: Nature on the “Balance Sheet”: Process and Roadmap
Agenda: To halt and reverse nature loss and strengthen economic and ecosystem resilience, a fundamental transformation of the economic system is required where natural capital is recognized as a driver for economic growth and an asset on our balance sheets. This balance sheet recognition is currently advancing too slowly as it requires deep scientific, technological, regulatory, political, and mental shifts.
For this recognition to become the new normal and guide investment decisions worldwide, critical enablers such as accounting, auditing, contracting, ratings, regulation, and national policies must align. Parallel to business efforts to integrate natural capital into their decision making, governments and regulators must promote a market infrastructure transformation by rewarding and incentivizing appropriate management of natural capital.
The Nature on the Balance Sheet Initiative is jointly led by the Center for Global Commons, Capitals Coalition, SYSTEMIQ, and The Landbanking Group. Its process and roadmap are as below:
- Natural capital assessment – discovers nature-related impacts, dependencies, risks, and opportunities using the Natural Capital Protocol (e.g., through TNFD’s LEAP framework).
- Natural capital accounting – quantifies the value of natural assets (e.g. forests, water resources) and services (e.g. carbon removal, water regulation) to business and society using established accounting frameworks and standards, such as the UN System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA) or ISO 14054.
- Financial accounting of natural capital – recognizes natural capital in financial business accounts and profit and loss statements against international accounting requirements, such as IFRS and IAS 38.
- Market pricing of nature-related assets and liabilities – investors, insurers and bankers, should reflect the status of natural capital in cost of capital, asset valuation, risk assessment, underwriting, pricing, and coverage exclusions.
- Codification and promotion of natural capital valuation – governments and central banks should use budgetary, fiscal, policy and regulatory instruments to codify and promote natural capital valuation for economic decision making.
To accelerate this transformation, curating movements in each enablers’ actions towards a shared goal of valuing natural capital in a standardized manner and integrating it at all levels of economic decision making is critical. Furthermore, the voices of Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Global South must be reflected in the process.
Speakers
–The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, and Minister responsible for Official Languages
–Lieke Verhofstad, Global Strategic Relations & Partnerships, Rabobank
–Mark Gough, CEO, Capitals Coalition
–Naoko Ishii, Director, Center for Global Commons, Univ of Tokyo (Moderator)
COP30 Standards Pavilion youtube live: https://www.youtube.com/live/6TTCLSQI0wQ
COP30 Standards Pavilion program site: https://www.standardspavilion.org/home.html#programme
