Zero Board Research Institute Calls for Participant Companies for 2026 Natural Capital Study Group
Zero Board Research Institute, the think tank under Zero Board Co., Ltd., is recruiting companies for its 2026 (3rd term) Natural Capital Study Group. This initiative aims to support sustainability management by helping companies implement natural capital response into their business through collaborative learning based on the TNFD's LEAP approach.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 30, 2026 at 23:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 30, 2026 at 14:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 30, 2026 at 14:58 (26 min after Collected)
Zero Board Co., Ltd. (Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Michitaka Tokeshi, hereinafter "the Company"), which supports corporate sustainability management, is recruiting participant companies for the 2026 (3rd term) "Natural Capital Study Group" hosted by the Natural Capital Team of its think tank, Zero Board Research Institute.
Since its establishment in October 2024, this study group has been continuously held in FY2024 and FY2025. Starting from the LEAP approach advocated by TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures), it aims to implement natural capital response into corporate management through collaborative learning among corporate practitioners.
Background of the Study Group
Beginning with the "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework" adopted at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD-COP15) in December 2022, responding to nature loss and achieving "Nature Positive" (nature restoration) have been set as international goals, and the global transition to "Nature Positive" is accelerating. The final recommendations of the TNFD, published in September 2023, require companies to identify their dependencies on and impacts on natural capital, as well as risks and opportunities, and to explain them in a financial context.
On the other hand, while Japanese companies are making progress in understanding TNFD concepts and gathering information on other companies' cases, they face practical challenges such as "not knowing where to start," "what specifically to disclose," "how to implement it in their own strategy," and "difficulty in internal explanation and consensus building."
The Natural Capital Study Group is a collaborative learning platform for practitioners facing these challenges.
Results Reports for the 1st and 2nd Terms
https://www.zeroboard.jp/service/zri/#naturalcapitalresearchgroup
Outline of the Program (3rd Term)
The study group consists of lectures by experts, workshops, fieldwork, and a results presentation session. The 3rd term has been changed to a two-part structure: a first half and a second half. Participation in the second half requires completion of the first half.
Item
Content
Duration
June 2026 - March 2027
First half: June - end of September 2026
Second half: November 2026 - end of March 2027
Time
Each session 14:00 - 17:00 (180 minutes per session)
Format
Hybrid format
Offline (in-person): Zero Board meeting room (Minato-ku, Tokyo)
Online: Zoom
Operating Body
Zero Board Co., Ltd. Zero Board Research Institute Natural Capital Team
Senior Fellow: Masako Ishimori
Analyst: Mizuki Nabeshima
Visiting Researcher: Keiichiro Fujiwara
*The content described is as planned at the time of announcement and may be subject to change. Also, each term has a minimum number of participants required. The latest event information will be provided to participating companies as needed.
■ First Half "Understanding and Exploration" June - end of September 2026
Target: Corporate representatives preparing for full-scale introduction of TNFD reporting
Objective: To create a draft of the company's TNFD response through collaborative learning with other companies
Contents (planned):
- 1st session: Concepts of natural capital, overview of TNFD recommendations
- 2nd session: Basics of DIROs (※) analysis tools and case studies of TNFD disclosure
- 3rd session: LEAP approach intensive training (workshop)
- On-site visit/retreat training: Scheduled around late July 2026 (Visit location: Chateau Mercian Maruko Vineyard / Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture) *Round-trip transportation costs from home/company to Ueda Station will be borne by participants.
- Individual online consultation: Individual response to questions regarding lecture content (30 minutes/session, 1 session only)
*DIROs: Abbreviation for Dependencies, Impacts, Risks, Opportunities. Refers to a company's dependencies on and impacts on natural capital, as well as risks and opportunities.
■ Second Half "Strategy and Engagement" November 2026 - end of March 2027
Target: Corporate representatives who want to grasp the latest trends and implement TNFD disclosure as a strategy
Contents (planned):
- 4th session: Advanced case studies (disclosure and target setting)
- 5th session: Identification of risks and opportunities and scenario analysis
- 6th session: Development of transition plans
- Sharing of latest trend reports (key points and latest information on international standards such as TNFD, SBTN, CSRD)
- Individual online consultation (30 minutes/session, up to 2 sessions)
- Presentation at the results presentation session (optional): Scheduled for March 2027
Participation requirements:
- Participation in the second half requires completion of the first half.
- Participants of the 1st (FY2024) and 2nd (FY2025) Natural Capital Study Groups can participate in the second half only.
Voices of past participants
Through lectures by experts and group work with others, I was able to raise my understanding of the vague "corporate initiatives for natural capital" and grasp it as my own issue.
Since its establishment in October 2024, this study group has been continuously held in FY2024 and FY2025. Starting from the LEAP approach advocated by TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures), it aims to implement natural capital response into corporate management through collaborative learning among corporate practitioners.
Background of the Study Group
Beginning with the "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework" adopted at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD-COP15) in December 2022, responding to nature loss and achieving "Nature Positive" (nature restoration) have been set as international goals, and the global transition to "Nature Positive" is accelerating. The final recommendations of the TNFD, published in September 2023, require companies to identify their dependencies on and impacts on natural capital, as well as risks and opportunities, and to explain them in a financial context.
On the other hand, while Japanese companies are making progress in understanding TNFD concepts and gathering information on other companies' cases, they face practical challenges such as "not knowing where to start," "what specifically to disclose," "how to implement it in their own strategy," and "difficulty in internal explanation and consensus building."
The Natural Capital Study Group is a collaborative learning platform for practitioners facing these challenges.
Results Reports for the 1st and 2nd Terms
https://www.zeroboard.jp/service/zri/#naturalcapitalresearchgroup
Outline of the Program (3rd Term)
The study group consists of lectures by experts, workshops, fieldwork, and a results presentation session. The 3rd term has been changed to a two-part structure: a first half and a second half. Participation in the second half requires completion of the first half.
Item
Content
Duration
June 2026 - March 2027
First half: June - end of September 2026
Second half: November 2026 - end of March 2027
Time
Each session 14:00 - 17:00 (180 minutes per session)
Format
Hybrid format
Offline (in-person): Zero Board meeting room (Minato-ku, Tokyo)
Online: Zoom
Operating Body
Zero Board Co., Ltd. Zero Board Research Institute Natural Capital Team
Senior Fellow: Masako Ishimori
Analyst: Mizuki Nabeshima
Visiting Researcher: Keiichiro Fujiwara
*The content described is as planned at the time of announcement and may be subject to change. Also, each term has a minimum number of participants required. The latest event information will be provided to participating companies as needed.
■ First Half "Understanding and Exploration" June - end of September 2026
Target: Corporate representatives preparing for full-scale introduction of TNFD reporting
Objective: To create a draft of the company's TNFD response through collaborative learning with other companies
Contents (planned):
- 1st session: Concepts of natural capital, overview of TNFD recommendations
- 2nd session: Basics of DIROs (※) analysis tools and case studies of TNFD disclosure
- 3rd session: LEAP approach intensive training (workshop)
- On-site visit/retreat training: Scheduled around late July 2026 (Visit location: Chateau Mercian Maruko Vineyard / Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture) *Round-trip transportation costs from home/company to Ueda Station will be borne by participants.
- Individual online consultation: Individual response to questions regarding lecture content (30 minutes/session, 1 session only)
*DIROs: Abbreviation for Dependencies, Impacts, Risks, Opportunities. Refers to a company's dependencies on and impacts on natural capital, as well as risks and opportunities.
■ Second Half "Strategy and Engagement" November 2026 - end of March 2027
Target: Corporate representatives who want to grasp the latest trends and implement TNFD disclosure as a strategy
Contents (planned):
- 4th session: Advanced case studies (disclosure and target setting)
- 5th session: Identification of risks and opportunities and scenario analysis
- 6th session: Development of transition plans
- Sharing of latest trend reports (key points and latest information on international standards such as TNFD, SBTN, CSRD)
- Individual online consultation (30 minutes/session, up to 2 sessions)
- Presentation at the results presentation session (optional): Scheduled for March 2027
Participation requirements:
- Participation in the second half requires completion of the first half.
- Participants of the 1st (FY2024) and 2nd (FY2025) Natural Capital Study Groups can participate in the second half only.
Voices of past participants
Through lectures by experts and group work with others, I was able to raise my understanding of the vague "corporate initiatives for natural capital" and grasp it as my own issue.