For assistance with collecting, managing, and disclosing ESG-related data

Resources
press release

Tomoo Machiba, Director of Zeroboard Research Institute, will be speaking at the plenary session panel of the Global Nature Positive Summit as Vice Chair of the GSSB.

The view is that the reduction in burden due to the interoperability of nature-related assessment and disclosure frameworks will allow for greater focus on impact risk management.

Zeroboard Inc. (Minato - ku, Tokyo; CEO: Michitaka Tokeiji; hereinafter referred to as "the Company"), which supports corporate sustainability management, is pleased to announce that Tomoo Machiba, Director of Zeroboard Research Institute, a News tank under its umbrella, spoke at the "Global Nature Positive Summit 2026" (organized by the Nature Positive Initiative and the IUCN Japan Committee / operated by Nikkei BP; hereinafter referred to as "the Summit"), held in Kumamoto Prefecture from July 14th to 15th, 2026.

On July 15th (the second day of the summit), Ms. Machiba participated as a panelist in the plenary session panel titled "The Interoperability of Standards, Measurement and Guidance Frameworks for Nature Positive Outcomes," representing her position as Vice Chair of the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB), an independent deliberative body of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

Machiba spoke at the plenary session of the Global Nature Positive Summit.Marco Lambertini, head of the Nature Positive Initiative, which hosted the summit, and the waiting area

About the Global Nature Positive Summit 2026

This summit is an international conference bringing together government, businesses, Financial Institution, and civil society representatives, with a particular focus on accelerating action by the private sector towards achieving the 2030 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Framework for Biodiversity (KMGBF). The second summit, held in Kumamoto, was attended by approximately 2,700 people, with the organizers reporting that about two-thirds of the participants were from the business and financial sectors. At the closing of the summit, the "Kumamoto Declaration," calling for accelerated action toward a nature-positive future, was adopted, and GRI and GSSB also endorsed it (*1).

overview of the presentation session

This session is a plenary panel meeting aimed at addressing criticisms that nature-related assessment and reporting frameworks are fragmented like "alphabet soup," by demonstrating progress in coordination and interoperability among major frameworks, and connecting this to corporate practices and building market confidence.

The moderator was Alexis Gazzo of EY, who has been involved in climate change and nature-related transition planning and policy design for many years and is also a member of the TNFD(Task Force on Natural Financial Disclosures). The panelists included Tony Goldner, CEO of the TNFD , which leads the disclosure framework for nature-related dependencies, risks and opportunities; Mark Goff, CEO of the Capitals Coalition, which drives corporate and government decision-making transformation based on the Natural Capital Protocol; Claire Casske-Cook, who oversees partnerships at the WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development); and Hirotaka Hideshima of the Dai-ichi Life Group, who has contributed to the development of guidance for Financial Institution as a member of the TNFD Task Force. Machiba participated in the discussion from the perspective of GRI/GSSB, which is responsible for international standards for impact disclosure.

The session discussed the TNFD's LEAP approach and its technical interoperability with other frameworks, the connection between natural capital and impact accounting and disclosure/reporting, and implementation Issue for private companies. Questions were raised in the waiting room regarding the relationship between GRI, which is responsible for impact disclosures, and TNFD, which handles financial disclosures of natural-related risks and dependencies, as well as how to avoid duplication of reporting and build market confidence.

Summary of statements made in the waiting area

Machiba explained that while GRI and TNFD have different objectives, they complement each other. He stated that GRI is a reporting standard that supports the disclosure of environmental and social impacts, including biodiversity, while TNFD is a framework that supports the disclosure of nature-related dependencies, risks, opportunities, and financial impacts, and that interoperability is important as interest in both sides of so-called double materiality increases.

He also mentioned that in developing the GRI 101 (Biodiversity) standard, they worked closely with the TNFD to ensure consistency in concepts, definitions, and data items. He explained that the essence of interoperability is "reporting once to different audiences through different lenses, rather than reporting twice," and that they are proceeding with collaboration with the ISSB(International Sustainability Standards Board) and national regulatory authorities based on the same idea. Furthermore, he expressed the view that if highly interoperable data definitions become widespread, it will become easier to respond to multiple standards and frameworks through the use of digital tools.

He concluded by saying that transparency itself is not the ultimate goal, but rather a starting point for better decision-making, and that it is important to reduce the time spent matching reporting requirements and focus on managing actual impacts, dependencies, risks, and opportunities.

GRI's endorsement of the Kumamoto Declaration and our company's view

To coincide with the conclusion of the summit, GRI expressed its support for the Kumamoto Declaration in an official news release, stating its position that accountability for impact is essential for realizing a nature-positive future (*1). In the same article, Machiba also states that building organizational resilience requires not only financial performance but also an understanding of the impact on people and nature and dependencies, and that the GRI 101 (Biodiversity) Standards provide international Best Practice for gaining that insight.

Ms. Machiba's role as Vice Chair of the GSSB represents her personal international role based on GRI's governance. We believe that her insights into international rule-making trends are valuable in improving the accuracy of our research at Zeroboard Research Institute and our recommendations in Support for Sustainability Management. Moving forward, we will continue to support companies in developing their data infrastructure and complying with disclosure requirements, taking into account the interoperability of disclosure standards and the practical needs of nature-related information.

Tomoo Machiba’s profile

After working as a journalist for the Asahi Shimbun, she became involved in supporting corporate and government sustainability strategies internationally. She worked on guideline revisions at the GRI International Secretariat and led eco-innovation policy research at the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry. At the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), she was in charge of knowledge management of renewable energy technology data from around the world, and at the UAE Federal Government, she was involved in green economy and climate change response strategy and policy development. As Deputy Director of the United Nations Centre for Climate and Technology Network (CTCN), she was responsible for supporting technology transfer to developing countries, and returned to Japan in 2021. She served as a partner in charge of decarbonization and ESG at the foreign consulting firm ERM, and became Director of the Zeroboard Research Institute in August 2023. From January 2024, she served as a board member of the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB), and from April 1, 2026, as Vice Chairperson. From March 2025, she became a member of the GHG Protocol Corporate Standards Working Group (TWG). She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Sophia University and a Master's degree from the Institute for International Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK.

Reference links

(*1) Based on GRI official news and the Nature Positive Initiative's closing press release. Numbers of supporters, participants, etc. are as stated at the time of publication.

Company Overview

Company name: Zeroboard Inc. Inc. (https://www.zeroboard.jp/ )
Location: 10 floor, Sumitomo Fudosan Tokyo Mita South Tower, 3-5-27 Mita Minato -ku, Tokyo
Representative: CEO Michitaka Tokeiji
Established: August 24, 2021
Service: Development and provision of ESG information centralization solution "Zeroboard Sustainability Platform" / Consulting on sustainability management / Operation of Community "All Aboard""All Aboard!"

Overview of Zeroboard Sustainability Platform

This comprehensive cloud solution supports the collection, management, and disclosure of ESG-related data. With a wide range of products, it seamlessly supports the processes required for sustainability management, including ESG disclosure.



  • " Zeroboard " - a cloud Service for calculating GHG (greenhouse gas) emission amount and managing environmental items
  • ESG legal disclosure cloud Service"Zeroboard ESG"
  • Dataseed SAQ: A platform for streamlining survey distribution and response.

With these products as a core, we provide industry-specific products, various optional functions, and consulting for compliance with regulations and complex calculations, thereby supporting corporate sustainability management.

[Webinars for businesses are currently being held]
Our company holds monthly webinars for businesses on decarbonization management. These webinars cover the latest trends in decarbonization both domestically and internationally, as well as how to utilize "Zeroboard." Please register to attend. For more details, please visit the events page on our website.

[Contact us]
For products and Service(Sales Headquarters) sales@zeroboard.jp
For media coverage (public relations) pr@zeroboard.jp

Back to list