Encouraging steps on nature action despite turbulent start to 2025

 
 
 

It’s been an eventful start to 2025, with some signs of progress on nature action despite a complex global landscape. This year needs to be a turning point in global efforts to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, and three months in, it has already provided key moments of collaboration and convergence.

Doubling our collective efforts to build the foundations for a nature-positive, net-zero and equitable future for all is vital. Nature provides benefits that sustain us all. Clean air and water, fertile soils, biodiverse ecosystems and other ecosystem services are essential to resilient societies and economies and a stable climate. Therefore, protecting, restoring and sustainably using nature is a non-partisan responsibility that requires collaboration and commitment across the political spectrum. Now, more than ever, it is essential to focus on the universal benefits of taking action to reverse nature loss in all parts of the world, and we thank all our coalition members and partners for their continued commitment and support.

Momentum building

on the role of business and government in the transition to a nature-positive economy, including a Davos session Business for Nature co-hosted with InTent. Gathering business, non-profit and policy representatives, the session concluded that while we need to quickly move beyond incremental changes, there are strong levers we can pull now to accelerate the transformation – from government sector-specific policies to financial mechanisms to help businesses value nature in their strategies, and from trade associations to corporate disclosure.  

Elsewhere in Davos, other promising announcements and discussions showed the growing recognition that nature loss must be addressed through innovative partnerships and solutions, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) a topic dominating many of the week’s discussions.  

A month later, the UN Biodiversity negotiations resumed in February in Rome only a few months after COP16 in Colombia, resulting in a number of positive outcomes and the launch of the Cali Fund. The measures agreed at the COP16.2 talks – which include a strategy to unlock at least $200 billion annually by 2030 to bridge the biodiversity finance gap - create both certainty and opportunity for businesses. Now the action and finance must follow – governments must continue their efforts and collaboration and businesses must also step up – not just to comply with upcoming regulation but to build their long-term resilience to mounting nature-related risks. 

The next big negotiations pertinent to nature will take place at the Climate COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in November. Nature is expected to be central to the talks, as our most cost-effective solution to stabilize the climate, and with Belém being a gateway to the Amazon rainforest. The stakes for nature at COP30 will be incredibly high – with the imperative to transcend geopolitics to secure the vital finance and collaboration that will safeguard our collective future. 

Policy updates

Despite the progress achieved at the recent biodiversity negotiations in Rome, the importance of advocating for strong government action at national and regional levels has never been more critical. Geopolitical fragmentation and economic pressures require increased vigilance to avoid undermining the ambition and urgency needed to meaningfully address the biodiversity and climate crises.  

In Europe, the proposed EU Omnibus could lead to a watering down of critical reporting regulation such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). Rolling back already agreed legislation creates legal uncertainty when business needs predictability and is unhelpful to companies who have already prepared for it. The EU should instead provide practical guidance to support implementation. Corporate assessment and disclosure on nature strengthens resilience, future-readiness and long-term performance.  

Elsewhere, China introduced its first standards for corporate sustainability disclosure - including general reporting requirements, as well as their principles and objectives. The standards are part of a larger effort to create a national framework for sustainability reporting in China. 

Another priority is accelerating the national implementation of the goals and targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework agreed at COP15 in December 2022, which sets out the roadmap for halting and reversing nature loss by 2030. However, only about a quarter of signatory countries have published an updated national plan (NBSAP) so far, with the role of business often not set out as clearly as it needs to be. A key focus for Business for Nature is therefore to support public-private dialogues to accelerate action, especially in countries with biodiversity hotspots. These include Chile, where, with the support of our coalition and Acción Empresas, the government is getting ready to publish an ambitious Business Action Plan that places business at the heart of delivering its 35 new biodiversity targets – offering a blueprint for ambitious collaboration between government and companies on nature. 

Catch up on all the main policy news from January and February.

Supporting corporate action

In the meantime, Business for Nature and its partners are continuing to provide practical resources to help a growing number of companies take action on nature. 

Two new reports from the World Economic Forum have been added to our series of sector-specific guidance in recent months – targeted at the Automotive and Mining & Metals sectors. A further report to cover priority actions for the Pharmaceuticals sector will be published by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) by the end of March. 

Over 30 business nature strategies are on our It’s Now for Nature campaign, and we’re proud to have four Nature Strategy Accelerator programs up and running, with more scheduled to start in the coming months. Each program, delivered by a Business for Nature partner, aims to support companies at different stages of their nature journey to develop and publish credible nature strategies by providing tools, methodologies and practical learnings based on the 12-page Nature Strategy Handbook, available in multiple languages.

Following a successful webinar for Asian businesses, Business for Nature is hosting another webinar on 26 March, this time engaging African businesses seeking practical insights into integrating nature into their operations and decision-making. Please sign up and share.

News from our partners

  • The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has opened a public consultation for its new Financial Services Sector Standards. Please provide feedback through the online survey before 31 May 2025. 

  • With over 500 companies now signed up to adopt the TNFD recommendations, the Taskforce continues to expand its range of resources, which now include the TNFD learning Lab , a self-guided learning platform for individuals and the TNFD Trainer Portal, a suite of adaptable training materials for educators and trainers. We encourage organizations to adopt TNFD ahead of COP30 through their new global adoption campaign.

  • A new validation service for companies setting nature targets has also been launched. Backed by the Global Commons Alliance and the Science-Based Targets Network (SBTN), the Accountability Accelerator will help businesses obtain independent verification and earn a credible stamp of approval to demonstrate their action for nature. 

  • The Nature Positive Initiative (NPI) is pursuing its focus on finding consensus around one set of State of Nature (SoN) Metrics, and developing plans for piloting a new set of metrics following a consultation which ended in January. The NPI held a webinar on World Wildlife Day in early March to share the latest updates on the project. 

  • The A-track project – co-led by WBCSD, Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership, the Capitals Coalition, UNEP-WCMC and others – has published a report exploring the key factors impeding companies’ ability to embed nature in their strategies, and setting our key recommendations to overcome common barriers.

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Many thanks as always for your continued action, engagement and support.

Best regards,

Eva Zabey - on behalf of the team
CEO, Business for Nature

 
 
 
 
ArticlesBusiness for NatureThe Biodiversity Plan, Global Biodiversity Framework, policy, Policy update, COP16