Forward-thinking businesses understand that global economic prosperity relies on a healthy natural world, and that to resolve the climate crisis and reduce inequality, we must protect and restore nature. Many businesses understand the value of nature and are voluntarily shifting their practices towards sustainability and longer-term thinking. Over 360 businesses have already made commitments to help reverse nature loss. By doing so, they are contributing to the mitigation of very real and significant risks that are posed to economies, communities and livelihoods.
However, in order to scale up and accelerate the action needed, regulatory and financial systems need to reward companies for their performance beyond financial returns – across environmental, social and governance issues.
In 2020, world leaders have a unique opportunity to forge international agreements to reverse nature loss as they did for climate change in 2015. Business voices and action helped shape the Paris Agreement by demonstrating that fighting climate change is both good for the planet and an economic imperative. To achieve the same in 2020 for loss of nature, the business community has to demonstrate with a coherent voice that safeguarding nature makes economic sense.
Businesses must unite behind and call on governments to incorporate ambitious policy recommendations. Policy ambition can unlock new business opportunities and encourage further business actions, in turn leading to more ambitious policies.
We need businesses to call for transformative policies because safeguarding nature makes economic and financial sense. They will help create a level playing field, a stable operating environment for business and the foundations for an ecological civilization. Only together will business and governments be able to unlock new opportunities and drive the global systemic and transformative change for everyone and everything to live sustainably on a healthy planet.
Business for Nature has engaged with over 200 companies representing 15 sectors from around the world as well as many other organizations to articulate, strengthen and shape five high-level policy recommendations. We’re working with our partners – 40 leading business and conservation organisations – to finalise these key asks before they are launched at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting this month in Davos, Switzerland.
This launch will be the first in a series of key events on nature and biodiversity this year. In June, the IUCN World Conservation Congress also offers a critical moment where businesses will have a unique opportunity to provide leadership and ask governments for greater policy ambition on nature. IUCN, in partnership with Business for Nature, is hosting a special gathering with CEOs at Congress to explore how business can help accelerate this policy agenda. The goal is to lay the groundwork for an emergency call for action that demonstrates strong business support for nature around the globe.
We need to demonstrate to heads of state and governments that business will back an ambitious New Deal for Nature and People at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP) in Beijing in 2020. By doing so, we can make sure the next decade is based on action that strengthens, rather than destroys, our relationship with nature.
Disclaimer: this article has been adapted from a piece originally featured in the WEF Agenda
About the author
Eva Zabey - Executive Director - Business for Nature
Eva leads Business for Nature, a global coalition aiming to unify the business voice to call for action to reverse nature loss and restore the planet’s vital natural systems on which economies, wellbeing and prosperity depend. Previously, Eva led multiple projects at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) for 15 years. This included leading work on natural, social and human capital measurement and valuation for business decision-making, towards integrated performance management, and ultimately reporting for investors. She led the development of the Natural Capital Protocol on behalf of the Natural Capital Coalition, as well as the establishment of the new Social & Human Capital Coalition.
Eva is an ecology specialist having gained a BSc from Imperial College London, and a Masters in environmental management from EPFL, Switzerland. In 2012, she completed a University of London on-line course on environmental valuation techniques, and delivered a TEDx talk in 2012 on valuing nature in business.
About Business for Nature
Business for Nature is a global coalition bringing together influential organisations and forward-thinking businesses. Together, we demonstrate business action and amplify a powerful business voice calling for governments to reverse nature loss.
