We Value Nature 10-Day Challenge session: Advocating for ambitious nature policies with Business for Nature
On Wednesday, 24 March 2021, Business for Nature held an interactive workshop focusing on “Advocating for ambitious nature policies: How can your company be a positive change-maker?” as part of the We Value Nature 10-Day Challenge. If you couldn’t join us, watch the recording (breakout rooms and discussion omitted) and access the slides, available below.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to Thomas Lingard, Global Sustainability Director - Climate & Environment at Unilever, for joining us to share his insights and experience from leading Unilever’s advocacy efforts.
This session was part of the We Value Nature 10-Day Challenge, which took place 11-24 March 2021. The Challenge offered a series of practical sessions and small challenges spread across 10 days to help companies take the next steps on their nature journeys. If you missed it, recordings and resources are available for all sessions.
The session was limited to 25 private sector participants, to allow for brainstorming, co-learning and fruitful discussion. Following an introduction from Business for Nature, participants split up into breakout rooms, and discussed topics such how their respective companies are already advocating for nature, what challenges their company or sector faces in protecting nature, which policies would aid in overcoming those challenges, and how we could encourage more companies to get involved in advocacy. Key themes that emerged included:
Nature is complex, and it can be challenging for companies to understand what acting and advocating for nature means for their company or sector.
There is a need for clear targets and metrics for business.
Collaboration through partnerships and coalitions is vital to bringing together a unified business voice.
We can and should learn lessons from the Paris Agreement and from business advocacy on climate change.
The session wrapped up with ways businesses can already begin to advocate for nature, for example:
Sign up to Business for Nature’s Call to Action, and join the 700+ companies already calling for governments to adopt ambitious policies that will reverse nature loss in this decade
Fill out our Business Engagement Survey, and register your interest in engaging with Business for Nature’s advocacy activities.
Raise your voice for nature. Share a quote of support for our policy recommendations, publish on op-ed from your CEO on nature weaving in our speaking points, share your support for ambitious nature policies on social media and more. Reach us at contact@businessfornature.org.
Engage with the Convention on Biological Diversity process in the run up to and at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15). Learn more in our CBD Guide for Business.