Home Breadcrumb caret Industry News Breadcrumb caret Industry Corporate commitments to address biodiversity lack action More than one-third of the world’s big companies harm wildlife habitat, Moody’s ESG says By James Langton | May 26, 2021 | Last updated on May 26, 2021 1 min read © Elena Elisseeva / 123RF Stock Photo More than one-third of the world’s big companies are engaged in activities that harm biodiversity by destroying wildlife habitat, according to research from Moody’s Corp.’s ESG division. In a new report, Moody’s ESG Solutions said that, based on a sample of 5,300 large, publicly traded global companies, 38% operate at least one facility that’s associated with habitat loss due to changes in land use. Habitat loss is also the main driver of biodiversity loss, which is increasingly a concern for investors, regulators and companies that are dependent on natural capital, “with scientists warning that the world is in the midst of a sixth mass extinction as nature is declining at unprecedented rates,” the report said. Moody’s also reported a disconnect between companies’ commitments to reduce their negative impacts on biodiversity, and their actions. For instance, it reported that 61% of companies in the heavy construction sector have made commitments to address biodiversity, yet less than 10% of the sector received positive scores for implementation. It also reported that the average score for disclosure relating to biodiversity was just 32 out of 100, “highlighting a general lack of disclosures,” it said. James Langton James is a senior reporter for Advisor.ca and its sister publication, Investment Executive. He has been reporting on regulation, securities law, industry news and more since 1994. Save Stroke 1 Print Group 8 Share LI logo