Climate and nature-related risks

For larger grants and loans, we require a more detailed account of how your company manages climate- and nature-related risks. Your company must demonstrate a holistic approach to issues involving responsible business conduct and climate- and nature-related risks. This also applies to all large companies covered by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), regardless of the amount applied for.

A holistic approach means that your company has established a systematic process for managing sustainability risks, including climate- and nature-related risks:

  • Risk identification: You have mapped all potential risks that naturally arise from your activities, without taking existing measures into account.
  • Risk assessment: the company has assessed the severity of the identified risks and how they may affect its operations and strategic objectives.
  • Risk management: The company has developed strategies and measures to reduce or eliminate these risks, with clear objectives and implementation methods.

The questions below provide guidance to help you address climate- and nature-related risks in your applications.

Questions about your company's climate risk

1. Assessment of inherent climate risk

  • Has your company assessed the inherent climate risks you face?
    • If so, how have you identified these risks?
  • Has your company conducted a climate risk analysis in line with best practice, such as the TCFD framework?
    • If so, have you assessed the physical risks and opportunities for your business against the EU's classification of physical risks?
    • If yes, have transition risks and opportunities been assessed? Have the four areas of transition risk been assessed? (Regulatory, technology, market and reputation.)
  • Has your company conducted a scenario analysis based on best practice (e.g. in line with the minimum CSRD requirements)?
  • What are the key findings from the climate risk analysis?

1. The Board's oversight of climate-related risks and opportunities

  • Does the board oversee climate-related risks and opportunities?
    • If yes, describe the board's oversight. How does this work in practice?

2. Management's role in assessing and managing climate-related risks and opportunities

  • Is management actively involved in assessing and managing climate-related risks and opportunities for the organisation?
    • If yes, what is management's role, and how is it involved in this work?

1. The impact of climate-related risks and opportunities on the organisation's operations, strategy and financial planning.

  • Have climate-related risks and opportunities affected your organisation's strategy and financial planning?
    • If so, how? Please describe.

1. Process for managing climate-related risks.

  • Does your organisation have a process for managing climate-related risks?
    • If yes, describe the process.

2. Integration of climate risk into risk management.

  • Is climate risk integrated into your organisation's overall risk management?
    • If yes, describe how processes for identifying, assessing and managing climate-related risks are integrated into your organisation's overall risk management.

1. Targets for assessing climate-related risks and opportunities in line with your organisation's strategy and risk management.

  • Has your company set any specific targets for assessing climate-related risks and opportunities in line with its strategy and risk management process?
    • If so, what targets have been set?

2. The company's targets for greenhouse gas emissions and related risks.

  • Has your company set targets for greenhouse gas emissions for Scope 1, Scope 2 and, where relevant, Scope 3, as well as related risks?
    • If so, can you share your company's emissions targets for Scopes 1–3?
  • What risks have you identified in connection with these emissions?

3. Your organisation's targets for managing climate-related risks and opportunities.

  • Has your organisation set targets for managing climate-related risks and opportunities?
    • If yes, what are these targets, and how do you measure progress?

1. Existing adaptation measures

  • Has your business implemented, or does it plan to implement, adaptation measures to reduce identified physical climate risks?
    • If yes, please describe the adaptation measures your company has in place, the physical risk factor they mitigate, and the relevant economic activity if your company carries out activities covered by the EU Taxonomy.

2. Additional adaptation measures

  • Has your business assessed additional adaptation measures that could reduce the identified physical climate risks?
    • If yes, please describe the adaptation solutions you have identified, the physical climate risks they address, and the taxonomy-aligned economic activities they relate to.

Questions about your company's nature-related risks

1. Nature risk assessment

  • Have you assessed the nature-related risks your business faces?
    • If yes, how did you identify these risks? Please describe the process you followed.
    • If not, does your company plan to carry out such an assessment?
  • Have you conducted a nature-related risk assessment in line with best practice, such as the TNFD framework?
    • If yes, what are the key findings from the nature-related risk analysis? Please provide and share documentation of the analysis.
  • If yes to both of the above, has your company used the TNFD LEAP approach to identify and assess nature-related risks?
    • If yes, please describe how you have implemented the LEAP approach in your nature-related risk analysis.
    • Have you identified sectors, value chains and geographical areas with moderate to high dependencies and impacts on nature during the Locate phase? Please describe them.
    • How did you assess your dependencies and impacts on nature in the Evaluate phase? Please describe them.

1. The Board's oversight of nature-related risks and opportunities

  • Does the board oversee nature-related risks and opportunities?
    • If yes, describe the board's oversight. How does this work in practice?
    • How and how often is the board informed about nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities?

2. Management's role in assessing and managing nature-related risks and opportunities

  • Is management actively involved in assessing and managing nature-related risks and opportunities for your business?
    • If so, what is management's role, and how is management involved in this work?

3. Engagement with affected stakeholders

  • Does your business engage with Indigenous Peoples, local communities and other affected stakeholders when assessing and managing nature-related issues?
    • If yes, please describe this process.

1. The impact of nature-related risks and opportunities on the organisation's operations, strategy and financial planning.

  • How do nature-related risks and opportunities affect your organisation's strategy and financial planning?
  • Scenario analysis: How have dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities been identified over the short, medium and long term?
    • What impact have these factors had on business models, strategies and financial planning, including transition plans?
  • Does the company assess the resilience of its strategies under different future scenarios?
    • If so, which scenarios are considered, and how do they affect strategic planning?
  • Has your company identified priority areas for its assets and activities, including sensitive locations?
    • If yes, describe the priority areas and how they influence your strategic decisions.

1. Process for managing nature-related risks

  • Are nature-related risks integrated into your organisation's overall risk management?
    • If yes, describe how the processes for identifying, assessing and managing nature-related risks are integrated into your overall risk management.

1. Targets for assessing climate-related risks and opportunities in line with the organisation's strategy and risk management.

  • Have you set specific targets for assessing and managing nature-related risks and opportunities in line with your strategy and risk management process?
    • If yes, please describe the targets and how they are calculated.
  • Has your company reported calculations of its dependencies and impacts on nature?
    • If yes, which calculations have been reported?
Published 14 Apr 2025Last updated 23 Apr 2025
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