Climate action is now mainstream, but biodiversity and ecosystem health? That’s where the frontier lies. Leading companies are embracing “nature-positive” strategies: efforts that reverse nature loss, regenerate ecosystems, and create measurable gains for biodiversity, not just reduce harm.
Defined under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, nature-positive means halting and reversing nature loss by 2030 on a 2020 baseline, and fully restoring ecosystems by 2050. It’s not simply a “net zero” for nature; it’s a proactive rebuilding of species, habitats, soils, and ecological processes.
For businesses, this means implementing regenerative agriculture to restore soil life, embracing circular products and packaging design to eliminate waste, using biodiversity credits to finance genuine restoration, and fully adopting disclosure standards like TNFD.
Real-World Corporate Trailblazers
Companies like Unilever, General Mills, and Grupo Bimbo are scaling regenerative agriculture across their supply chains, reviving soils while cutting risk exposure. Natura & Co. secures significant price premiums for sustainably sourced Amazonian ingredients, benefiting both biodiversity and livelihoods.
Suzano, a major forestry company, restructured its land use into mosaics that combine production and natural corridors, reducing pesticide costs, boosting water security, and generating revenue through carbon credits. In Namibia, wildlife-centric tourism demonstrates how protecting ecosystems can increase occupancy and generate higher tariffs.
Emerging data confirm that nature-positive strategies not only reduce risks but also generate profits. Improvements in soil and water health enhance resource efficiency, resulting in lower input costs and stable or increased crop yields.
ESG-conscious investors and consumers are increasingly factoring in environmental credentials when making decisions, offering companies a market differentiation edge. Investment in nature-based R&D spurs innovation, leading to new product categories such as bio-based materials, agroforestry services, and natural capital bonds.
Biodiversity credits are also gaining traction as a viable financing tool. Programmes in countries such as the UK, Australia, Costa Rica, and Colombia now allow ecosystem restoration efforts to generate tradeable credits, similar to carbon markets.
Challenges And Emerging Market Tools
Despite this momentum, significant challenges persist. Measuring biodiversity remains complex; there is no simple carbon-ton equivalent, which complicates standardisation. Greenwashing poses a risk because nature-positive claims need to be backed by scientific baselines, transparent disclosures, and third-party verification.
Meanwhile, the rise of regulatory disclosures such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is pushing companies to report their nature impacts more rigorously, bringing much-needed clarity and accountability.
Businesses should start by setting nature-positive targets that align with globally recognised frameworks such as GBF and TNFD. Adopting regenerative agriculture and circular design principles within supply chains can boost resilience while reducing risk.
Piloting biodiversity credit projects helps finance restoration and offset unavoidable impacts. Companies should also deepen their internal reporting through TNFD, and ensure that executive leadership integrates natural capital into overall strategy. Finally, building partnerships with NGOs, local communities, and financial institutions can help scale projects and spread expertise.
For investors and regulators, the message is clear. The shift from managing risks to building systemic ecological value is underway. Nature can no longer be treated as an externality; it must become a cornerstone of thriving, future-ready businesses and economies.