SBTN Financial Sector Engagement Program

Helping the financial sector turn nature engagement into measurable action

Financial institutions have influence over how companies respond to nature-related risks and impacts — but many in the financial sector are still building the confidence and practical know-how to push for credible, measurable action.

Developed with support from CDP and WWF France, the SBTN Financial Sector Engagement Program will help financial institutions and other relevant financial sector organizations understand when science-based targets for nature are relevant, the pathways to feasible target-setting for companies, and how to bring them into existing company and client engagement.

The first phase of the program will begin with freshwater quantity targets, providing a focused, practical entry point for sectors where water availability is particularly material.

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Why this program?

Science-based targets for nature can help companies determine where action matters most and what level of change is needed. For financial institutions, SBTN can provide a structured basis for company and client dialogue — helping them ask better questions, assess the credibility of corporate action and consider nature-related issues more consistently across investment, lending, underwriting and client relationships.

The recent release of Science-Based Targets for Nature 2.0 creates a timely opportunity to build this capability. The updated methods give companies more practical ways to get started and make progress, while maintaining the rigor, place-based approach and accountability that underpin credible science-based action.

The program will help participants build understanding and confidence in:

what science-based targets for nature are and the value they can provide to companies
how companies can get started and progress, including where data or traceability is not yet perfect
how SBTN connects with TNFD, CDP, SBTi and other approaches companies may already be using (CSRD for mandatory reporting)
how science-based target-setting can support existing investor and financial-sector expectations on nature
when and how to introduce SBTN into company and client conversations

What participants will gain

Build understanding and confidence: Training on SBTN’s updated methods, the business value and feasibility of science-based targets for nature, and the different ways companies can begin and make progress. Initial capacity building will focus on freshwater quantity targets, with recordings and supporting materials available after sessions.
Access SBTN expertise and learn with peers: Free access to SBTN’s Corporate Engagement Program, including expert insights from companies applying the methods and updates on SBTN developments. A quarterly peer working group will be held, focused on practical application, barriers and improvements, with additional topic-specific technical sessions where there is demand. The working group will provide a forum for peer learning and a feedback loop to help shape future guidance and support.
Understand how SBTN fits with other approaches: Practical guidance on how SBTN connects with TNFD and other nature-related approaches, and how science-based target-setting can support existing collaborative investor initiatives and expectations.
Put SBTN into practice: A practical engagement toolkit to support company and client dialogue, including suggested questions, talking points, sector-relevant prompts, corporate examples and case studies, and insights from SBTN’s Target Tracker and relevant CDP data.

Join the Program

The program is designed primarily for financial institutions that engage companies or clients on sustainability and nature-related issues, including:

Asset owners and asset managers
To support stewardship, portfolio company dialogue and investment processes.

Banks and lenders
To support corporate client dialogue, relationship management, sustainability advisory and relevant sector or transition-finance conversations.

Insurers and reinsurers
To inform client engagement, underwriting discussions, risk advisory and resilience conversations.

Relevant financial sector associations, collaborative initiatives, advisers and engagement service providers may also participate where they can apply or amplify the program’s resources.

Organizations can participate whether their nature strategy is already established or still emerging.
This program is not a new collaborative investor engagement campaign and does not require participating institutions to make a new stewardship or corporate engagement commitment.

Financial institutions already engage companies and clients on a range of nature-related issues, including water, biodiversity and nature transition. Existing collaborative initiatives also help establish expectations and organize engagement around these issues.

SBTN adds a science-based target-setting route that can help companies translate those broader expectations into measurable targets and action.

The program will help financial institutions use SBTN in their own company and client engagement, while also complementing initiatives such as Ceres’ Valuing Water Finance Initiative, Nature Action 100, Finance for Biodiversity, PRI Spring and FAIRR.

It will also help participants understand how SBTN connects with wider corporate approaches such as TNFD and CDP.
This program is not a new collaborative investor engagement campaign and does not require participating institutions to make a new stewardship or corporate engagement commitment.

Financial institutions already engage companies and clients on a range of nature-related issues, including water, biodiversity and nature transition. Existing collaborative initiatives also help establish expectations and organize engagement around these issues.

SBTN adds a science-based target-setting route that can help companies translate those broader expectations into measurable targets and action.

The program will help financial institutions use SBTN in their own company and client engagement, while also complementing initiatives such as Ceres’ Valuing Water Finance Initiative, Nature Action 100, Finance for Biodiversity, PRI Spring and FAIRR.

It will also help participants understand how SBTN connects with wider corporate approaches such as TNFD and CDP.
Phase 1 of the program will begin with SBTN freshwater quantity targets, providing a focused and practical use case through which to build capability.

Freshwater is a useful starting point because water availability is material across a range of high-impact sectors and companies have already begun applying SBTN’s freshwater methods.

Initial capacity building will focus particularly on sectors and companies where freshwater quantity impacts and dependencies are significant and where SBTN provides a relevant route toward action.
Participation is focused on learning and practical application. Participants will receive program materials and invitations to capacity building and working group sessions.

Participants will be encouraged to:

nominate a primary contact and involve relevant colleagues

take part in core training sessions or review recordings and materials

share relevant resources internally

where appropriate, test program resources in an internal process or company/client conversation

provide feedback on what is useful, where challenges remain and what further support is needed

There is no requirement to engage a specific company, make a public SBTN commitment or join a coordinated corporate engagement campaign.

Participation in the program is free of charge.

Participating organizations will be listed on the SBTN website as program participants.

Join the program

Interested in learning how science-based targets for nature could strengthen your company or client engagement?

Financial institutions and relevant financial-sector organizations can join Phase 1 by completing the sign-up form. Participants will receive onboarding information, program materials, and invitations to upcoming capacity-building and peer working group sessions. Please register by 30 November 2026 to experience the full program.

Join the program

For questions, contact Guillaume Wahl at gwahl@wwf.fr and Monique Ewerton at Monique.Ewerton@cdp.net.

The SBTN Financial Sector Engagement Program is led by the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) with support from CDP and WWF France.

Resources
- Download the Concept NoteLearn more about the program, including the indicative scheduleOpen