Social Impact Research Inc. Launches "Nature Positive Research Group," Aiming to Become Japan's Implementation Hub for Natural Capital Visualization (Quantification) to Transform Natural Capital from "Philosophy" to "Corporate Value"

Social Impact Research Inc. (Representative Partner: Taku Kumazawa) is launching the "Nature Positive Research Group (free membership)" with the aim of visualizing corporate dependence and impact on natural capital, and connecting this to impact assessment, financial impact analysis, and corporate valuation.

This research group is a practical research and co-creation platform designed not to treat natural capital merely as a theme of environmental consideration or social contribution, but to connect it to corporate management strategy, risk management, financial impact, and dialogue with investors.

Following climate change response, a critical management challenge for corporate management is how to understand, disclose, and link dependence and impact on natural capital such as biodiversity, water resources, forests, and marine ecosystems to enhance corporate value. However, many companies face the challenge that their initiatives related to natural capital remain at the level of "philosophy," "activity introduction," or "qualitative explanation," without sufficiently demonstrating a connection to finance and corporate value.

Leveraging its accumulated knowledge in impact assessment, integrated reporting, and the analysis of connections between non-financial capital and corporate value, Social Impact Research is establishing this research group to translate natural capital into a language that investors can understand.

Click here to apply for participation.

Background of Establishment

In recent years, international disclosure and evaluation frameworks related to natural capital and biodiversity, such as TNFD, SBTN, ISSB, and CSRD, have been rapidly developed. Companies are required not only to understand their dependence and impact on nature but also to explain how these affect business risks, supply chains, costs, capital expenditures, sales opportunities, cost of capital, and corporate value.

However, compared to climate change, natural capital presents higher regional specificity, complexity, and difficulty in data acquisition, making evaluation, comparison, and dialogue challenging for both companies and investors.

Therefore, this research group aims to combine on-site natural data, scientific knowledge, impact assessment, financial analysis, and integrated reporting expertise to transform natural capital into a form that can be utilized for management decisions and investor dialogue.

Basic Concept of the Research Group

The basic concept advocated by this research group is as follows:

Nature → Impact → Finance → Value Nature

A distinctive feature of this research group is its positioning of natural capital not just as something to be protected, but as a source of corporate competitive advantage, risk reduction, brand value, growth opportunities, and resilience assets.

Differentiation Points of this Research Group

This research group is not merely a study group or information exchange meeting. Its objective is to develop evaluation models, KPIs, disclosure formats, and investor dialogue language that can be used in corporate practice.

1. Evaluation Model Connecting Natural Capital to Corporate Value

It connects the conservation and regeneration effects of natural capital not only to SROI and impact assessment but also to corporate value indicators such as ROIC, PBR, DCF, WACC, growth options, and resilience value.

2. Implementation Framework Compatible with TNFD/SBTN

It utilizes on-site data, GIS, drones, satellite data, AI analysis, and regional data to build a practical model that can be translated into international disclosure and evaluation frameworks such as TNFD and SBTN.

3. Promotion of Empirical Research in Three Domains: "Water, Forests, and Oceans"

Instead of treating natural capital abstractly, it divides it into three domains with significant contact points with corporate activities: "Water," "Forests," and "Oceans," and develops evaluation models tailored to specific businesses, regions, and industries.

4. Co-creation by Companies, Financial Institutions, Researchers, and Local Communities

It forms a co-creation platform where companies, financial institutions, local governments, researchers, technology companies, and local businesses collaborate to implement natural capital in society.

Three Sub-Committees

This research group will establish the following three sub-committees as key areas of natural capital driving corporate value:

1. People of Water: Water Positive Sub-Committee

It visualizes dependence and impact on water resources, analyzing watershed-level risk assessment, water stress, recycled water, supply chain impacts, cost fluctuations, and EBITDA impacts.

2. People of Forests: Forest Positive Sub-Committee

It integrally evaluates forest absorption capacity, biodiversity, regional economy, carbon credits, and brand value, positioning forest conservation and regeneration as intangible assets and sources of corporate value enhancement.

3. People of Oceans: Ocean Positive Sub-Committee

It develops evaluation models connecting marine ecosystems, blue carbon, seagrass beds, coral reefs, fishery resources, and coastal resilience to corporate value.

Target Participants

■ Listed Companies

TNFD compliance, integrated reporting, natural capital strategy, corporate value enhancement

■ Financial Institutions/Investors

Natural capital risk assessment, investment decisions, engagement

■ Local Governments

Valuation of regional natural capital, regional circular economy, regional impact

■ Technology Companies

Sensors, satellites, drones, AI, GIS