Explore the Capitals Protocols
The Capitals Protocols are decision-making frameworks that help organisations recognise, assess, and integrate the value of natural, social, human, and produced capital in their strategies. At STA, we support the UAE’s adoption of these tools to strengthen sustainable, resilient outcomes in the Gulf.
The Protocols We Work With:
Natural Capital Protocol
This framework helps organisations identify, measure, and value their direct and indirect impacts and dependencies on nature. It guides decisions about natural resource use, ecosystem services, and biodiversity.
Social & Human Capital Protocol
Focuses on an organisation’s relationships with people and society: how business activities affect communities, employees, and broader social systems, and how businesses depend on them.
Integrated Capitals Protocol / Capitals Protocol
A newer, holistic framework that links all four capitals, natural, social, human, and produced, into a unified approach. It helps users assess trade-offs, prioritise decisions, and align across capitals in one assessment.
How the Protocols Work (Stages & Steps)
The Capitals Coalition’s global protocols, including the Natural Capital Protocol and Social & Human Capital Protocol, guide organisations through a structured decision-making process. At Sustainability to Action (STA), we apply these principles through the ACT-D Framework, which translates the global approach into practical, action-oriented steps for the UAE and Gulf region.
The ACT-D Framework
A – Assess
Understand your organisation’s relationship with nature and society. Identify key impacts, dependencies, and risks across the four capitals natural, social, human, and produced.
C – Commit
Engage leadership and secure alignment on priorities. Establish clear objectives that connect sustainability action to business strategy and national goals.
T – Transform
Integrate the capitals approach into everyday operations. Apply insights from assessment and commitment stages to policies, planning, and performance management.
D – Disclose
Communicate results transparently. Share progress, lessons, and value creation with stakeholders, reinforcing accountability and continuous improvement.
Through ACT-D, STA helps organisations move from awareness to implementation, ensuring that the value of nature, people, and society is reflected in every decision.This framework aligns directly with the Capitals Coalition’s international standards and supports the UAE’s vision for a nature-positive, inclusive, and resilient economy.
The ACT-D Framework
A – Assess
Understand your organisation’s relationship with nature and society. Identify key impacts, dependencies, and risks across the four capitals natural, social, human, and produced.
C – Commit
Engage leadership and secure alignment on priorities. Establish clear objectives that connect sustainability action to business strategy and national goals.
T – Transform
Integrate the capitals approach into everyday operations. Apply insights from assessment and commitment stages to policies, planning, and performance management.
D – Disclose
Communicate results transparently. Share progress, lessons, and value creation with stakeholders, reinforcing accountability and continuous improvement.
Through ACT-D, STA helps organisations move from awareness to implementation, ensuring that the value of nature, people, and society is reflected in every decision.This framework aligns directly with the Capitals Coalition’s international standards and supports the UAE’s vision for a nature-positive, inclusive, and resilient economy.
