Businesses can’t build resilience without nature strategies

Eva Zabey is CEO of Business for Nature, a global coalition that brings together business and conservation organisations and forward-thinking companies. 

Nature is suffering, and businesses are too. Extreme weather and ecosystem degradation are disrupting value chains and markets – causing $327 billion in losses in 2024 alone and threatening $2.7 trillion in annual gross domestic product by 2030. 

When ecosystems fail, supply chains stall, costs spike, and financial stability is eroded. Water scarcity is increasing costs, deforestation and pollution are causing reputational damage, and invasive species are disrupting supply chain security.  

With nature loss significantly exacerbating the risks and impacts of climate change, the World Economic Forum ranks biodiversity loss and extreme weather among the decade’s top global risks. 

Yet, most companies still leave nature out of their strategic plans. Fewer than 5% of companies have implemented formal biodiversity strategies. Recent research shows that 64% of companies and financial institutions believe their nature-related issues are as significant, or more significant, than climate-related issues to the prospects of their business. 

Corporate disclosure laws are expanding to cover nature, and consumers continue to reward nature-positive companies. Businesses today therefore face a choice: ignore nature and expose your operations to escalating risks, or understand your business’ relationship with nature, develop a nature strategy and turn it into a source of resilience, revenue, and opportunity.

It makes business sense

The good news is that momentum to align business activities with nature is accelerating. Over 600 companies have committed to use the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) to identify nature dependencies and impacts, and over 150 companies are preparing science-based nature targets via the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN). 

Through Business for Nature’s ‘It’s Now for Nature’ campaign, more than 30 companies representing $700 billion in revenue have published comprehensive nature strategies, with many more set to follow. Aligning business operations with nature protection, restoration, and sustainable use has moved from being a sidelined sustainability strategy to become part of everyday decision-making for leading businesses.

We analysed 32 nature strategies as part of It’s Now for Nature and found key insights that reflect how nature is a growing focus for businesses. Leading companies are not only mapping their impacts on nature, but also their dependencies, risks, and opportunities. 

Corporate nature strategies remain heavily weighted toward freshwater and climate change. This reflects the maturity of existing disclosure frameworks and regulation and the essential role of water in business operations. However, it also reveals a significant gap: companies must urgently integrate other critical areas such as pollution and waste, land and sea use, and biodiversity to fully realise the potential benefits and unlock value. 

Bring nature into the boardroom

The analysis also shows that nature is on the agenda in the boardroom, with 50% of the strategies having board-level oversight, and some businesses tying executive pay to nature-based targets. 

Despite this, too many plans focus on short-term harm reduction and disclosure, not long-term restoration and resilience. 

Among the companies that have set nature targets, 68% stop at 2030 while only 9% look to 2050. While effective at driving the much-needed urgent action, that’s a missed business opportunity. Protecting, restoring and sustainably using nature is critical to underpin operational continuity and competitiveness, especially as climate shocks and resource constraints intensify in the years ahead.

The tangible business upsides of protecting, restoring, and sustainably using nature are undeniable. Consumers are willing to pay nearly 10% more for sustainably sourced goods, and companies with above-average environmental performance see 6% higher earnings. 

Nature-aligned models also unlock access to carbon, biodiversity, and ecosystem-service markets valued at roughly $700 billion, plus premium pricing, supply security, and often a lower cost of capital as investors reward long-term resilience. 

Policy is evolving and businesses need to keep track

At COP30 climate talks in Brazil in November, leaders will reaffirm that stabilising the climate and protecting nature are one, unified mission. Countries are now translating the goals set in the Global Biodiversity Framework into national biodiversity strategies and action plans. 

Business for Nature is working with partners in Mexico, Indonesia, and Nigeria to turn national ambition into practical, public-private implementation roadmaps for companies. At the same time, businesses must speak up against regulatory backsliding and in favour of reforms that phase out harmful subsidies and make nature disclosure mandatory. 

Clear, consistent policy rewards first movers and creates the level playing field serious companies want.

Corporate action gives governments the confidence to set strong, consistent rules. In return, a nature-positive economy provides secure resources, steadier operations, and loyal customers. This is why more businesses must develop nature strategies and work quickly to implement them. Businesses that do will reap the benefits: they will reduce risk, build resilience, drive revenue, prepare for regulation, and enhance their reputation.