What the TNFD’s New Guidance Means for Australian Businesses

In November 2025, the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) released guidance to help organisations incorporate nature into their transition planning.

This reflects a global shift in how businesses are expected to prepare for the future. Climate and nature are connected issues, and planning for one without the other is becoming harder to justify. 

Using this guidance can help organisations understand their relationship with the rest of nature, make informed decisions to prepare for our future economy, and communicate this in a clear and credible way. 

How nature transition planning fits with climate

The TNFD guidance on nature in transition planning is designed to be complementary and build upon climate transition planning. It recognises that many organisations are already progressing Climate Transition Plans and provides a pathway to extend this work to include nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities.

Practical ways to apply the guidance

• If you already have an existing Climate Transition Plan: the TNFD guidance can help you integrate nature into your existing Transition Plan. The disclosure guidance retains 16 of the 19 TPT Disclosure Framework. See Figure 3 on page 6 of the guidance, featured below. 
• If you’ve undertaken a LEAP assessment: the TNFD guidance on nature in transition planning will support you to complete the TNFD recommended disclosure Strategy B. See Figure 4 on page 8 of the guidance, featured below. 
• If you are yet to begin transition planning: this guidance can help you to develop a Transition Plan that considers both nature and climate, in a single coherent and complimentary approach. 

Where nature fits in the TPT Disclosure Framework

Figure 3: Structure of nature in Transition Plan disclosure guidance adapted from TNFD's Guidance on nature in Transition Plans - Page 6.

The guidance can support both strategic planning and reporting

• Strategic planning: Section 4 of the guidance outlines how to incorporate nature into your Transition Plan. It is centred around the five themes for transition planning that form the base of the TPT guidance. These themes are foundations, implementation strategy, engagement strategy, metrics and targets and governance. See Figure 2 on page 5 of the guidance, featured below. 
• Reporting: Section 5 outlines how information about nature in Transition Plans can be disclosed. This can be done as a standalone report and within disclosures that are aligned with the TNFD recommendations. 

Themes for nature in Transition Plans

Figure 11: Themes for nature in Transition Plans adapted from TNFD's Guidance on nature in Transition Plans - page 31

Why should you use it, even though you’re not mandated to? 

Like AASB S2, TPT guidance and the LEAP framework, this guidance can be used as an evidence based and credible tool to help organisations respond to the changes already happening to our economy and the natural world. 

• AASB S2: Organisations that have used AASB S2 to assess their risks climate related risks and opportunities now have a better understanding of how climate change could affect their commercial performance. These insights are valuable, whether or not reporting is mandatory. 
• TPT: Organisations that have already established credible Climate Transition Plans (i.e. TPT aligned) are in a strong position to manage climate related risks and opportunities. This helps them prepare for a low carbon economy and climate stressed world. 
• LEAP: Organisations undertaking nature assessments (i.e. aligned to the TNFD LEAP assessment framework) now have a better understanding of how they depend on nature. They also gain insight into the risks associated with nature loss and the opportunities available when they effectively manage their impacts on the natural world. 

Positioning your Transition Plan for what’s next

Organisations that develop and effectively implement Transition Plans in line with the TNFD guidance can be confident that their decisions about their business models and value chains are moving in same direction and at the same pace as the global nature agenda.

This agenda is set by the GBF and is rapidly shaping the priorities of investors, regulators, and the market.