The Aotearoa Circle recently released its first Impact Report, highlighting what has been achieved with our Partners since 2019 and the growing momentum behind strengthening Aotearoa New Zealand’s climate, nature and economic resilience.
This week we’re spotlighting the second in our series of impact case studies featuring Circle Partner Genesis and how participation in our Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) Bootcamp led to a $1 million investment in nature and helped identify nature-related risks and opportunities.
Genesis was part of the first cohort of The Aotearoa Circle’s Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) Bootcamp in 2023, gaining early experience applying the emerging global framework.
Delivered by PwC New Zealand, the workstream supported participants to apply the ‘LEAP’ approach – helping organisations locate, evaluate and assess nature-related issues, and prepare for disclosure.
Sustainability Lead Kate Ferguson says involvement was a valuable opportunity to build capability alongside other businesses.
“It was also a great chance to understand our nature-related impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities in a shared learning environment. At that time, the TNFD framework was still under development,” Kate says. “Having PwC New Zealand doing the legwork behind the scenes to ensure the bootcamp was working to the most current version was incredibly helpful.”
Following the workshop series, Genesis convened a cross-functional group spanning Environment, Strategy, Risk, ESG and Sustainability teams to apply the LEAP framework to its New Zealand operations.
This work resulted in the development of a nature risk register and a clearer articulation of key dependencies – particularly uninterrupted access to freshwater.
“We applied LEAP to our New Zealand-based operations and developed a nature risk register,” Kate shares. “We already understood a lot about our nature impacts, how they are monitored and managed. We were, however, then able to better articulate the nature-related opportunities of protecting our most important dependency – uninterrupted access to freshwater. This included not only positive outcomes for the health of these ecosystems, but improved relationship benefits with mana whenua.”
Insights from this work helped shape Genesis’ Community Investment Strategy, which includes a dedicated focus on protecting and restoring nature, aligned with mana whenua aspirations and freshwater outcomes.
“Our strategy includes a pou for ‘Protecting and Restoring Nature’ with principles to support mana whenua aspirations and outcomes for freshwater.”
The TNFD framework also strengthened the internal business case for increased investment in nature.
“As a result, we were able to allocate $1 million per annum, through to 2030, to protecting and restoring nature around our communities, including the Tongariro Power Scheme,” Kate explains.
“It also enabled a number of initiatives, including supporting Tūwharetoa with their Pā Tuna programme to restore populations of tuna (eels) above dams and other infrastructure required by the Genesis power scheme on the western slopes of Mount Ruapehu.”
Beyond investment, Kate says applying TNFD has supported improved disclosure practices and broader organisational readiness.
She says other positive outcomes include:
• Being better positioned if TNFD does become mandatory
• A successful business case happening sooner than would have otherwise occurred
• Stronger reputation and deeper relationship benefits
• Shared learnings with other sustainability leaders that have enabled Genesis to ‘go quicker’
• And importantly, environmentally positive outcomes including enhancements of vulnerable species
The impact has also extended to governance. Genesis’ Board attended The Aotearoa Circle’s Governing Natural Capital workshop in October 2024, led by Deloitte Partner Louise Aitken. This prompted a dedicated Board session in April 2025 focused on nature-related risks and opportunities.
“Because of our involvement in the TNFD bootcamp, and wider work to date, we were able to quickly and thoroughly reassure our directors and illustrate the opportunities the Community Investment Strategy presented. While so much of our climate-related issues are grounded in ‘risk’, nature is an area we can be much more proactive and opportunity-focused.”
“As sustainability leads, we need to be scanning the horizon for what’s coming next. As we look to quantify the value of our climate-related risks, connecting them to our identified nature-related dependencies and risks is a solid next step.”
Read more on TNFD here.
Read the impact report here.
