Banking Activity in the Age of Biodiversity Risk: Insights from Academic Literature

This chapter reviews the academic literature analysing the link between biodiversity loss and banking activity. By employing a bibliometric approach in conjunction with a systematic review, this chapter examines a research field that has been largely overlooked for over a decade but has experienced significant growth following key global events, such as the Kunming Declaration. The performance analysis reveals a rapidly expanding yet still fragmented literature, concentrated mainly in interdisciplinary sustainability journals rather than mainstream finance outlets. Science mapping identifies three thematic clusters: (i) interconnected ecological pressures and macro-financial vulnerabilities; (ii) bank-level exposure to biodiversity loss; and (iii) biodiversity disclosure and pricing of nature-related risks. Across clusters, the literature shows that biodiversity loss constitutes a financially material source of credit, market, operational, and systemic risk. However, significant gaps persist, including the lack of standardised disclosure metrics, limited quantification of transmission channels, and underdeveloped prudential approaches. The chapter concludes by outlining a future research agenda aimed at supporting the incorporation of nature-related risks into banking practice and financial supervision.