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How positive will “nature positive” be? The EU B@B Platform Thematic Report provides meaningful insights to demystify the buzz word.

As the UN Biodiversity COP15 is in full swing, the world is holding its breath hoping for a landmark agreement on biodiversity. The Global Biodiversity Framework is expected to help us transition to a nature positive world; one where there is more biodiversity globally in 2030 than there was in 2020. “Nature Positive by 2030” appears in capital letters on the wall of one of the COP15 pavilions where many technical discussions involving business are taking place. There are concerns that nature positive might fail to drive meaningful and verifiable action. The EU B@B Platform, in consultation with key partners and businesses, takes a first attempt to define the concept and what it means in a business context.

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Nature and biodiversity Nature and biodiversity

date:  16/12/2022

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Following the webinar series on nature positive hosted in September, the EU B@B Platform developed a Thematic Report providing a ‘current working definition’ of what nature positive means in a business context. The Report, which builds on the Business for Nature discussion paper, aims to contributes to the current debate, providing meaningful clarifications embodied in 10 principles.

The ‘current working definition’ applies to any company that is adopting or has adopted a nature positive strategy or ambition, which means that they credibly contribute to the Global Goal for Nature. These 10 core principles of the working definition might be perceived as challenging and ambitious to address from a business perspective. However, their consideration is needed if we want to support the achievement of a nature positive world.  

In short, the core principles are:

  1. Nature positive is a collective effort
  2. The full scope of nature needs to be covered
  3. Material impacts of the value and within the spheres of influence need to be covered
  4. Positive impacts need to outweigh negative impacts
  5. Nature positive needs to be implemented in full compliance with the mitigation hierarchy and complemented by conservation measures
  6. Targets and actions should be ambitious, science-based and integrated, and measured
  7. Potential need for transformation of production processes or business models
  8. The nature positive ambition needs to be endorsed by the Board
  9. Nature positive requires immediate actions
  10. Communicate in full transparency

The Report explains the 10 principles in detail, providing case study examples, to make it easy to understand for business.

If we are serious about our ambitions to reach the Global Goal for Nature by 2030, concepts like nature positive should be embraced. But, most importantly, clear principles and definitions should be developed collectively to guide and verify business action and avoid greenwashing. Tackling nature loss is a collective endeavour. It requires a whole-of-society approach and business and finance have a critical role to play regardless of the outcome of the current Global Biodiversity Framework negotiations.