The bank will work with London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)’s global research initiative Earth Capital Nexus.

Barclays has partnered with academics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)’s global research initiative Earth Capital Nexus to help better integrate nature into financial decision making.

The banking group said the aim was to support a “more resilient, nature positive economy” and unlock “new opportunities for growth”.

“The collaboration aims to support the development of approaches to better identify and assess nature related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities,” it added.

The bank’s head of sustainability Marie Freier said: “Nature loss is increasingly a financial risk.

“By partnering with Earth Capital Nexus, we are strengthening our understanding and ability to support clients in managing these risks, while making the related opportunities more measurable, actionable and investable to help build a more resilient economy.”

Nicola Ranger, executive director of Earth Capital Nexus added: “This partnership brings together cutting-edge research and real-world financial expertise.

“By working with Barclays, we can help translate insights on climate, biodiversity and natural capital into practical tools that support better decision making and accelerate investment in nature positive solutions.”

Earlier this month research revealed that "limited progress" is being made by finance firms in the UK in tackling deforestation. Research by Global Canopy of 150 financial institutions found that just under three in five do not have a deforestation policy in place.

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