From exterior regulatory pressures to inside company commitments, there’s a myriad of the explanation why an organization could start serious about its dependencies and impacts on nature. WHC is aware of this all too nicely from 35 years of expertise supporting the personal sector in biodiversity-related efforts.  

Whereas the reasoning behind a company dedication to nature positivity varies from firm to firm, WHC has recognized many commonalities throughout industries and sectors. With firms more and more seeking to have interaction in nature-positive actions, WHC aggregated these widespread findings right into a mannequin referred to as the Nature-Optimistic Journey. 

However what does this journey appear to be, and the way can firms get began? WHC specialists addressed these questions and extra in a latest webinar targeted on the how and why of company nature positivity. 

Why get began now? 

With a purpose to set the scene for the Nature-Optimistic Journey, it’s vital to grasp why firms ought to embark on this journey now. The earth is at present experiencing a nature disaster, thought of by many to the be planet’s sixth mass extinction occasion. There was a documented 69% lower in monitored international wildlife populations since 1970, and elements like habitat loss, overexploitation of nature, invasive species, illness and local weather change are all drivers for biodiversity loss worldwide. These biodiversity losses won’t solely impression nature, but additionally the worldwide financial system, as over half of the world’s GDP relies on nature. 

Due to these impacts, governments, monetary establishments and companies are starting to take concrete motion for nature. Due partly to the Kunming-Montreal World Biodiversity Framework, which was adopted by 196 nations at COP 15 in December 2022, governments are growing nationwide motion plans to achieve nature-positive targets, together with necessities for companies. It’s clear that, due to the dire state of biodiversity and these rising exterior pressures, now could be the time for firms to behave for nature. 

Navigating the ecosystem of nature-related frameworks 

Momentum is rapidly gathering throughout many sectors to deal with nature-positive outcomes, leading to numerous initiatives, instruments and frameworks associated to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Many firms have relayed to WHC that the sophisticated panorama of those rising frameworks can really feel daunting, so having a clearer image of their expectations and interoperability may also help firms decide which frameworks finest match their wants. 

A couple of notable frameworks embrace the Taskforce on Nature-related Monetary Disclosure (TNFD) and the Science-based Targets for Nature (SBTN). TNFD focuses on nature-related danger administration and disclosure, with these disclosures serving to firms put together for Goal 15 of the GBF, and SBTN offers steering for place-based impression administration. Whereas each frameworks finally develop motion plans to satisfy and report on nature-related targets, TNFD focuses closely on disclosure, whereas SBTN’s focus is extra on appearing and monitoring measurable targets.  

TNFD and SBTN are simply two of the numerous frameworks, initiatives and rules that at present exist, with extra undoubtedly on the best way. As such, it may be tough to parse the connections between them and perceive the place every framework matches into an total nature-related technique. WHC is working to simplify this, utilizing a pattern state of affairs within the webinar as an example how numerous initiatives, in addition to extra actions like WHC Conservation Certification®, every play a task in an organization’s nature-related assessments, commitments, disclosures and transformation.  

Watch WHC’s free, on-demand webinar to be taught extra concerning the numerous nature-related frameworks. 

Listening to from firms about their place on the journey 

Contemplating there are a lot of frameworks and initiatives that assist a aim of reaching nature positivity, many firms are questioning get began. Each firm’s journey will look totally different, and there’s not often a straight path to nature positivity, as exterior and inside disruptions will inevitably have an effect. Regardless of this variability, WHC has recognized six common phases on the Nature-Optimistic Journey. 

An organization will usually begin within the exploration part, the place it begins to grasp its relationship with nature. As soon as an organization has decided that biodiversity is materials to its success, an inside dedication to take nature-related motion typically follows. Additional assessments and planning assist to determine particular nature-related dangers, impacts, dependencies and alternatives throughout places, enterprise items and provide chains. Based mostly on these findings, an organization develops a nature technique to deal with these impacts, which it typically pilots and adapts at a subset of places to gather suggestions and modify earlier than adopting and launching it extra broadly. Armed with this nature technique, an organization can go on to repeatedly innovate within the face of recent rules, competitors and elevated understanding of nature – changing into an trade chief. 

Attendees on the webinar represented an attention-grabbing cross part of the personal sector, and so they supplied helpful information concerning the company nature-positive journey in a short ballot. When requested about their firm’s present place on the nature-positive journey, most respondents indicated they’re within the two earliest phases: Exploration (35%) or Evaluation & Planning (27%). The vast majority of respondents had been no additional than the Exploration part of their journey, with solely 10% having reached the Adoption & Launch part. 

When requested concerning the limitations they see limiting their development on the journey, monetary sources (35%) and lack of figuring out the place to start out (27%) had been the highest responses. Particularly, a lack of figuring out the place to start out was indicated as the most important hurdle for these in the Exploration and Evaluation & Planning phases, whereas a lack of economic sources was the highest purpose for not advancing in three phases: Dedication, Piloting & Adapting and Technique Adoption & Launch.

These findings present that steering and assist early within the journey is a prime want for a lot of firms. WHC is working to satisfy this want by growing choices that may assist propel firms to the following step on the journey. From biodiversity health screenings to framework readiness assessments to the creation of a company nature technique, WHC has created a menu of choices to assist firms in any respect phases of the Nature-Optimistic Journey.  

Descriptions of those choices, their placement on the nature-positive journey and real-life examples can be found in WHC’s free white paper: The Company Nature-Optimistic Journey| Personal Sector Biodiversity Methodologies, From Technique to Implementation. 

Able to get began?  

By embarking on the Nature-Optimistic Journey and implementing a company nature technique, firms profit in quite a few methods. Not solely does a nature technique display an organization’s dedication to each folks and planet, however it will probably additionally assist different corporate-level methods for local weather or sustainability. A nature technique helps an organization align with numerous regulatory and monetary expectations and helps enterprise decision-making by placing a deal with nature-positive actions and decreasing nature-related dangers. 

As biodiversity turns into extra of a hot-button problem, and with the emergence of extra voluntary nature and regulatory nature-related disclosures and expectations, it’s clear that now could be the time for firms to behave for nature. Need to be taught extra? Watch WHC’s free, on-demand webinar for extra particulars on the steps on the company Nature-Optimistic Journey and to find out how, regardless of the place you’re, you can begin taking motion for nature.