Part 1: Demystifying the ‘L’ in the TNFD LEAP Approach

Climate has been the main character of many sustainability conversations, but nature has always been there in the wings. As Singapore transforms from a Garden City to a City in Nature, the role of natural systems in how we operate, build, and manage risk has become impossible to overlook. The challenge? Nature is complex. In a dense island city such as Singapore, its business links are not always obvious. This is why many organisations assume that nature is not relevant to them, when in reality, connections to nature are woven through their operations and supply chains more than they know.

To foster a better understanding of this concept, we will share a series of articles over the coming months as a follow-up to our Executive Guide to Nature Disclosures. These articles will support companies in Singapore and, more broadly, in Asia as they begin their Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) journey and showcase how our specialists are helping clients navigate the framework.

This introductory article delves into ‘L behind the LEAP Approach, a framework developed to support the identification and assessment of nature-related issues.

Starting your TNFD journey

The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) provides a structured approach for organisations to understand and respond to their nature-related risks and opportunities. Its LEAP approach begins with Locate, which identifies where your organisation’s activities interface with nature, and enabling you to confidently prioritise the focus areas for the ongoing assessment.

To help you get started on your TNFD journey and bring the ‘Locate’ step of the LEAP framework to life, we use the example of a fictional Singapore-based construction company, BuildGood Pte Ltd. This example walks through practical considerations and actions BuildGood might take to uncover their nature-related dependencies and impacts.

Understanding your business value chain

A starting point for BuildGood would be to map out its value chain. This includes upstream, direct operations, and downstream operations, and for each stage, asks the question, “Where do we depend on nature and where might we impact it?”

If you are drawing a blank, start by exploring publicly available resources and data you already have access to, such as:

• TNFD guidance – outlines the five drivers of nature change (land-use change, resource use, pollution, climate change, invasive species) and where they show up.
• ENCORE – provides sector-specific nature dependencies and impacts.
  Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) – as a construction company, BuildGood has carried out EIAs as part of its project planning, providing valuable information on nature-related impacts and relevant data they can use.
• Existing frameworks – BuildGood’s annual sustainability reporting applies the GRI Standards disclosures, which contain data on water, waste, materials, and biodiversity that can inform the assessment.
• Local datasets – in Singapore, publicly available information on nature areas and nature reserves (e.g. NParks Parks and Nature Reserves) can help identify where activities intersect with key ecosystems.
• WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter - provides location specific overview of nature risks.

Below is an expanded example of how BuildGood, given its reliance on steel, might begin mapping its value chain against key drivers of nature loss.

Locate – the ‘L’ of the LEAP Approach Framework

‘Locate’ focuses on identifying where your organisation interacts with nature, and this is often a step that many companies struggle with. Common questions arise, such as “How far up the supply chain should you look?” or “How far downstream does my responsibility go?”

By breaking the process down and reviewing each component systematically, you can move forward in a practical, structured way:

• Upstream suppliers – focus first on the materials your business relies on most, or those that feature prominently in your processes (e.g. steel, cement, glass products).
• Direct operations – where you have the most control and most readily available data.
• Downstream impacts – think about how the products are used and what happens to them at the end-of-life.

With the totality of the organisational interface with nature identified, companies can then prioritise the focus area for the rest of the LEAP assessment.

That may mean focusing on the areas with the most impact, or for companies with limited resources they may choose to focus where they have the best data, or the most direct influence. Companies may choose to start with a single product line, or business unit, to test their approach and readiness, before rolling out the assessment more widely.

How our team can help

SLR supports organisations at all stages of their nature journey. From identifying their nature interface and material impacts to clarifying strategic priorities, developing nature and biodiversity strategies, enhancing disclosures, and implementing site‑level action plans that deliver measurable outcomes for climate, nature, and people.

To speak with one of our specialists, contact us today.