TNFD assessment and freshwater target setting for a diversified UAE enterprise

Client type (industry, region)

• Diversified UAE enterprise committed to climate and nature leadership.

Challenge, solution, outcomes (brief)

• The client needed to understand nature‑related risks and establish SBTN‑aligned freshwater targets across priority basins. In a previous role, TreeLynk co‑founder Inesh Singh led work to deliver a TNFD‑aligned assessment and support freshwater target setting, enabling TNFD reporting and basin‑level prioritisation.

Problem

• The enterprise was expanding its focus from climate to nature, with limited internal capacity to run structured assessments across multiple sectors and locations. Leadership required a clear view of nature‑related dependencies, impacts, and risks, as well as prioritised sites for mitigation and investment.
• The organisation also needed practical guidance on how to apply emerging TNFD and SBTN frameworks in its own context, and how to translate assessment outputs into decisions on sites and actions.

Solution

• This work was led by TreeLynk co‑founder Inesh Singh as part of a previous job, before establishing TreeLynk.
• For the TNFD assessment, the team:

• • Applied the LEAP (Locate, Evaluate, Assess, Prepare) approach to assess dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities.
  • Used tools such as the WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter and Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas for location‑based screening and quantification.
  • Introduced a standardised evaluation methodology and quantified processes for ranking risks, opportunities, impacts, and dependencies.
  • Supported the client in preparing TNFD‑related disclosures for inclusion in the annual report.
• For freshwater target setting (SBTN), the team:

• • Deployed nature‑focused delivery team to consolidate data and support SBTN‑aligned freshwater target calculations for priority basins.

• • Introduced centralised data architecture, modelling logic, and QA layers aligned with evolving SBTN guidance.

• • Used Hogeboom’s global model and SBTN methodologies to evaluate potential freshwater targets for key basins.

Results

• First comprehensive TNFD assessment for the group, including financial indicators linked to nature‑related risks.
• Enabled TNFD‑based reporting, financial evaluation of nature risks, site prioritisation, and clearer understanding of nature impacts and dependencies.
• Calculated SBTN‑aligned freshwater targets for the top three water basins based on consumption, enabling basin and site prioritisation, even though targets were not formally validated or published.
• Established a repeatable technical model for nature risk and freshwater target work that could be applied across additional assets and basins.

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