Nature is the backbone of the world economy: all businesses depend on nature. Societies cannot survive, let alone thrive, without the essential functions that the natural world provides: clean air, water, food and a stable earth system to exist within.

The ongoing and accelerating destruction of nature and biodiversity is one of the greatest risks that humanity faces today. And it is already impacting business today. Industry value chains that are highly and moderately dependent on nature generate over half of global GDP; every industry has some degree of direct and indirect dependency on nature.

Approximately 90% of the pressures on nature can be attributed to three socio-economic systems. For that reason, in addition to general guidance for all businesses, WBCSD has prioritized the development of tailored guidance for the land use system (including agri-food system and forest products sector), built environment system (including infrastructure) and energy system.

Business has a unique opportunity to reshape its relationship with nature and embrace much-needed transformation. Building on existing efforts and climate change strategies, companies need to adopt an integrated approach: avoiding and reducing their impacts on nature; restoring and regenerating the state of nature; and, transforming underlying systems to address the drivers of nature loss.  

As well as needing to respond to increasingly immediate, business-critical, nature-related risks, companies are facing a rapidly evolving accountability system. Policymakers, regulators, investors, consumers and citizens are collectively stepping up calls for rapid change. Business must now contend with voluntary (such as SBTN, TNFD) and mandatory (CSRD) disclosure requirements, as well as shifts in the global policy landscape (GBF). 

Integrated, concerted efforts to address material impacts and deliver positive impacts on nature, climate and people, will pave the way for enhanced resilience in both the business landscape and society at large. 

By pro-actively managing nature-related risks, companies can prepare for incoming policy and regulatory requirements, identify priority actions to reduce negative impacts, and unlock opportunities across the value chain. WBCSD’s Roadmaps to Nature Positive have been  developed through extensive engagement with 75 member companies, and over 50 partner organizations. Following the "how to" guidance in the Roadmaps, companies will be able to:

• Conduct a robust value chain materiality screening;
• Identify priority actions to systematically avoid and reduce negative impacts;
• Determine the best restoration and regeneration approaches;
• Set related science-informed targets;
• Prepare for initial voluntary and required disclosures.