Zenbird Editorial TeamThe Norinchukin Bank and the Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J) announced on Monday a new partnership agreement aimed at advancing Nature Positive initiatives throughout Japan’s primary industries, including agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and the wider agri-food sector.
The collaboration seeks to align Japan’s economic activities with global conservation targets. It responds directly to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted at COP15 in 2022, which calls for urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. The partners recognise that the current linear economic model of mass production and disposal has severely damaged the natural systems that underpin business and society.
Under the agreement, Norinchukin Bank will leverage its position as a national financial institution for Japan’s agricultural, forestry, and fishery cooperatives to support its members and clients in their transition. NACS-J, a conservation NGO established in 1951, will provide its extensive scientific expertise and practical know-how in nature conservation.
The partnership will focus on three core areas. It will establish practical methods for using nature-based indicators in a business context, develop new financial solutions such as biodiversity loans and high-value carbon credits, and support the creation of on-the-ground conservation projects within the primary industries.
NACS-J emphasised that Japan’s rich biodiversity has always been deeply connected to its agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. As an organization, it aims to restore this connection by working with the bank and other partners to advance Nature Positive practices.
As partner, NACS-J will provide expertise for Norinchukin Bank’s existing biodiversity loans by helping to select appropriate indicators and establish monitoring systems.
[Reference] NACS-J Press Release (Japanese)
