Work

Nature at Risk, Finance at Stake: A Systematic Literature Review of Biodiversity Risk in Finance Research

Year: 2025

Type: review

Abstract: ABSTRACT Biodiversity‐related financial risk is increasingly recognized not only as a market concern but as an ethical and systemic imperative for businesses and financial institutions. This systematic literature review synthesizes 103 peer‐reviewed studies to examine how biodiversity risk is conceptualized, measured, and integrated within financial research. While awareness of biodiversity as a systemic financial risk is expanding, the field remains theoretically fragmented and methodologically uneven. Four dominant themes emerge: financial materiality, visibility and recognition, governance and accountability, and levels of analysis. Building on these findings, the review introduces an eco‐financial transmission framework that connects biodiversity loss to financial exposure through valuation, governance, and disclosure channels. It further underscores the moral responsibility of financial actors to embed biodiversity into investment practices, ESG strategies, and regulatory design. By integrating ecological economics with ethical finance, this review advances a conceptual foundation for a financial system that not only mitigates biodiversity risk but also supports long‐term ecological resilience.

Source: Business Strategy and the Environment

DOI: 10.1002/bse.70398

Authors: Thang Ngoc Dang, Monomita Nandy, Suman Lodh, Khaled Hussainey

Institutions: Brunel University of London, Kingston University London, Bangor University

Language: English

Topic: Sustainable Finance and Green Bonds

Subfield: Finance

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,480