Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures

In December 2022, UN’s Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) agreed on a new set of objectives to guide global action through 2030 to halt and reverse nature loss. The conference stated that “nature is critical to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. Adoption of a bold global biodiversity framework that addresses the key drivers of nature loss is needed to secure our own health and well-being alongside that of the planet.”

CNX has been providing information in our Corporate Sustainability Reports on our nature-related risks, opportunities, and metrics, since 2011, but this year is also providing an initial report aligning with the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework.

CNX is taking steps to complete an assessment report according to the TNFD. The TNFD report will be utilized to evaluate and disclose CNX’s nature-related impact, dependencies, risks, and opportunities. By evaluating these risks and opportunities in relation to our dependencies and impacts on nature, understanding our key performance indicators and setting targets will increase resilience of our sustainable business model.

The final TNFD recommendations were released in late 2023 and are similar in format to those outlined in TCFD. The disclosures are grouped into four areas that represent core elements of business operations: governance, strategy, risk and impact management, and metrics and targets. The task force developed an assessment approach to guide reporting companies in “Locating, Evaluating, Assessing, and Preparing” their impacts on nature, also known as the LEAP approach. Additionally, the TNFD divides and defines nature into four categories: ocean, freshwater, land, and atmosphere. The assessment includes how the company’s strategies, both positively or negatively, influence the five drivers of nature change established by the TNFD: land/ocean/freshwater use change; resource use/replenishment/recycling; pollution or pollution removal; and threatened and endangered species/invasive species introduction or removal.

Strategy—Sustainability/Resilience

Globally there is a growing concern over impacts from changes in the ecosystem and the risks around how that impacts commercial activities. CNX has identified impacts and dependencies on nature and biodiversity that hold significance for our business.

  • Impact
  • Water use
  • Ecosystem/land use
  • Water and soil pollutants
  • Dependencies
  • Surface water
  • Erosion control/stabilization

Photo credit: Perry Lupinetti

 

Nature-related Risks and Opportunities

Identifying potential nature-related risks and opportunities helps inform our internal risk assessment, strategy development, and decision-making processes. The strategic responses outlined for the nature-related risks and opportunities highlight management’s focus on a singular strategy that does not require abrupt shifts to respond to the differences in the assumptions or the way we currently conduct business. Substantial demand for natural gas, our track record of successfully adapting in response to new business opportunities, and our proactive approach to compliance and transparency, give us confidence in the effectiveness of our strategy, and incorporate managing nature-related risks.

Key nature-related risks and opportunities are similar to those for climate-related scenarios, consisting of Physical and Transition Risks and Opportunities. They are summarized below.

Physical Risks:

Increased severity of extreme weather events and potential for natural disasters could impact operations, resulting in a disturbance, which could have an impact on business activities. Similarly, these physical risks could have an impact on raw material costs and operational/management costs.

Transition Risks:

Regulatory Risks

  • Expanding number of nature-related regulatory and policy changes
  • Potential for nature-related restriction of operations or operational delays
  • Potential for prohibition on resource extraction and utilization (like water and land)

Operational Risks

  • Resource dependency, scarcity, reduced availability of natural resources
  • Operational and supply chain disruption
  • Potential for higher costs

Market

  • Risk of production/development due to increase in costs due to restrictions on sourcing/competition for resources

Reputational

  • Increasing pressure from stakeholders for disclosures
  • Potential damage to reputation/social license to operate from environmental and social impacts

OPPORTUNITIES/MITIGATION STRATEGIES:

Operational Excellence

  • Implementing operational efficiencies to reduce demand on renewable/non-renewable resources
  • Multi-disciplined siting of infrastructure to reduce biodiversity impacts
  • Stacked pay development which limits earth disturbance and associated emissions from construction of additional well pads and infrastructure

Compliance and Transparency

  • Proactively align with evolving regulation/practices
  • Demonstrate commitment to responsible practices
  • Integrate biodiversity protection practices into multi-disciplinary business practices
  • Engage with regulatory community on opportunities to support policies/regulation development
  • Take advantage of government incentives/grants

Reputational

  • Embrace practices/technology that promote sustainability and biodiversity
  • Engage with community stakeholders on biodiversity projects

CNX currently follows regulatory requirements when assessing impacts to biodiversity. Our overarching goal is to minimize operational impact and leave the land where we operate in a better condition than we found it. CNX’s current risk management strategy centers around the four essential steps to 1. Identify, 2. Assess, 3. Manage, 4. Mitigate. CNX will begin to evaluate other available tools, like the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tools and WWFs Biodiversity Risk Filter, to help with screening and identification, and response to biodiversity and other nature-related risks. CNX currently relies on habitat mapping, which provides valuable information on species distribution, and pays particular attention to threatened, endangered, and other vulnerable species. CNX completes an impact assessment, and species-specific considerations are made when managing and mitigating potential impacts. CNX continues to incorporate data in line with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to identify biodiversity-related features, assess protected areas and key biodiversity areas within our footprint and intends to expand on this reporting.

While in the process of further evaluating nature and biodiversity-related risks, we have initiated a road map to further solidify the nature-related aspects in our strategy. See our action plan summarized below:

Short-Term (0-5 years)

  • Educate our employees about TNFD and biodiversity
  • Set a risk strategy
  • Develop a policy to support nature-related and biodiversity aspects (by encouraging conservation and protection of ecologically sensitive areas)
  • Develop mitigation plans as needed for priority sites
  • Set initial biodiversity targets expanding on our water and waste reduction and stewardship initiatives
Mid-Term (6-10 years)

  • Incorporate additional metrics in nature-related and biodiversity assessments
  • Develop mitigation plans for all areas
  • Evaluate and expand biodiversity targets
Long-Term (11-20 years)

  • Monitor progress
  • Extend commitment by urging suppliers to follow our commitments to conservation and protection of ecologically sensitive areas