Geneva / New York, 12 September 2023: Working closely with members and partner organizations, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is releasing Roadmaps to Nature Positive to support companies in taking credible, impactful action on nature.
Nature has risen up the corporate agenda in the last 18 months. Significant milestones, such as the COP15’s Global Biodiversity Framework adoption, the Science Based Targets Network’s (SBTN) initial science-based targets for land and freshwater, and the imminent release of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosure’s (TNFD) v.1 recommendations, are evidence of a rapidly emerging voluntary and mandatory accountability system for nature that business must navigate. However, research shows, despite the emerging demand for business to take action on nature, only 5% of companies have assessed their impacts on nature, with fewer than 1% understanding their dependencies.
In response, WBCSD has actively collaborated with 75 of its members and over 50 partners, including TNFD and SBTN, to develop the Roadmaps to Nature Positive, which provide comprehensive guidance relevant for all businesses as well as specific in-depth analysis for four high impact systems: agri-food, forest products, built environment and energy.
“As we plan, deliver and finance business projects and assets, we must do so in a way that considers nature alongside climate, societal and commercial objectives. I encourage all companies to utilize the Roadmaps to move from a ‘minimize negative impact’ to ‘generating positive impacts’ for nature. They are practical, informed by experience and set a path that must be achieved by all involved. My thanks to all who have contributed to their development – now it’s up to us all to utilize the Roadmaps to accelerate the transition to nature positive.”, – Tom Reichert, CEO, ERM.
WBCSD’s Roadmaps to Nature Positive: Foundations for all businesses, the first in a series of tools being developed by WBCSD for companies to effectively prepare for incoming policy and regulatory requirements, were informed by its work as one of TNFD’s knowledge and implementation partners. In collaboration with 23 member companies, representing a range of geographies and businesses from systems that have significant impacts and dependencies on nature, WBCSD led a TNFD Pilot to test the beta versions over the 12 months prior to the upcoming release of the v1.0 recommendations on 18 September 2023. These lessons and experiences have been incorporated into the Roadmaps and are contributing to TNFD’s Getting started guidance, to be launched alongside the v.1.0 recommendations.
“The Roadmaps to Nature Positive provide a step-by-step “how to” guide to help companies establish ambitious strategies to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. They lay out a credible approach based on relevant frameworks and resources, to start or advance nature journeys for any maturity level, geographical base or company size. The Roadmaps are another step in WBCSD’s commitment to help business accelerate and scale action and accountability in support of nature-positive outcomes.”, Diane Holdorf, Executive Vice President – Pathways, WBCSD.
To complement the Roadmaps and the TNFD Pilot work, WBCSD collaborated with Business for Nature and the World Economic Forum to release targeted actions for businesses across 12 sectors, in a joint effort to drive sector actions towards nature positive.
The sector-specific actions, also launched today, outline the key impacts and dependencies on nature for each of the 12 critical sectors, and set out priority actions that businesses should take to avoid and reduce their negative impacts on nature, restore and regenerate the state of nature and transform underlying systems to address the drivers of nature loss.
There are strong commercial arguments for companies to work towards the global goal for nature, with nature-positive business models potentially offering opportunities for new products and services worth USD 10 trillion a year to businesses, contributing to nature, climate and social outcomes. WBCSD will continue working with members and partners to raise ambition, deliver action and sharpen accountability for a just transition to nature-positive and net-zero.
“The guidance in the Roadmaps to Nature Positive cuts through the complexity of the nature agenda. This breakthrough work, developed for and with leading businesses and experts, helps companies to understand their nature dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities, and identify priority actions to transform their operations and value chains to contribute to a nature-positive future.”, – Dominic Waughray, Executive Vice President – Imperatives, WBCSD.
