In the past few years, the concept of Nature Positive has been gaining traction, evolving from relatively niche and academic uses in 2019/2020 into policies, regulations and business strategies.
In 2021, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) described the concept of nature positive as a “north star to guide action and to transform business”. At Impact Labs, we believe that this is crucial to reach the global goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Government action and regulations are often slow to develop and be enforced and individual efforts rarely scale. Business, however, can build the resources to address their negative impacts and actively contribute to nature regeneration.
As Paul Polman reminds us: “Nature is our home and our life support system. […] The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of nature, not the other way around.” To secure a thriving future, the economy must now play its part in repairing the planet.
What does Nature Positive actually mean?
As with many environmental and sustainability concepts, the definition of “nature-positive” is yet to be consistent across stakeholders, but it encompasses the following characteristics:
- A systems-thinking approach, where the outcomes are not just analyzed at the organizational level, but in the wider systematic context. In this way, interconnections between different sustainability goals are recognized and leveraged;
- A 360º scope approach, encompassing the operational footprint, supply chain and end-of-life impacts (vertical scope), and allowing for engagement in industry-wide sustainability improvement (horizontal scope);
- Implementation of actions based on clear, science-rooted frameworks aligned with an ecologically healthy future.
- The focus shifts from minimizing harm to regenerating and conserving ecosystems: a proactive and restorative approach focused on the conservation and regeneration of ecosystems.
Achieving a nature positive state is a complex endeavour that must start with a robust understanding of the negative impacts caused by businesses.
The Planetary Boundaries Framework, developed by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, illustrates how human activity affects nine critical Earth systems — seven of which have already been pushed beyond safe limits. This is currently the most relevant attempt at quantifying anthropogenic impacts on the planet.
Crossing boundaries increases the risk of generating large-scale abrupt or irreversible environmental changes. The impacts of these changes will not necessarily be immediate or drastic, but together the boundaries mark a critical threshold for risks to societies and the biosphere we are part of.
PLANETARY BOUNDARIES
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Understanding how businesses contribute to these pressures provides a foundation for assessing the current state of nature, identifying risks and opportunities, and designing strategies that both minimize harm and create positive ecological impact, ultimately becoming a nature positive.
