Ecosystems and biodiversity are in rapid decline as drivers of change have accelerated over the last 50 years. More than 2,200 Australian species and ecological communities are known to be threatened and at risk of extinction and 19 ecosystems are already showing signs of collapse. Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse ranked as the third highest threat humanity will face in the next 10 years. Demand for goods and services is exceeding the ability of the biosphere to sustainably provide them. This poses a significant risk to nature itself but also companies, the broader economy and humanity.

What is Nature Positive?

Nature Positive is a global societal goal to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030 against a 2020 baseline, and achieve full recovery by 2050. To achieve Nature Positive requires ambitious and targeted effort from government, business and the broader community.

Role of State and Federal governments

It is essential that the Australian Government and State and Territory governments commit to Nature Positive and take a leadership role in guiding action.

The Australian Government must adopt and implement the four outcome goals and 23 action-oriented targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, in full. An intergovernmental agreement should be developed that outlines the responsibilities of the Australian Government and State and Territory Governments for achieving all targets in the Framework.

Governments must commit to a sustained, material uplift in funding commensurate with halting and reversing nature loss in Australia. The Australian Government should take a leadership role and commit 1% of the Federal budget ($7 billion per annum ongoing) to significantly improve the outlook for biodiversity in Australia.

Transforming how we protect nature and biodiversity will mean renewing a commitment to genuine, deep participatory processes as part of decision-making at all levels. State and Federal government should empower First Nations to care for Country and increase participatory decision-making.

All sectors of the economy have an impact, either directly or indirectly, on biodiversity. State and Federal governments must reform policies, subsidies and taxes that are direct and indirect drivers of ongoing biodiversity loss and support transitions for biodiversity harmful industries. The Australian Government should introduce mandatory disclosures for all large businesses and financial institutions to assess and disclose their impacts and dependencies on nature by 2030.

Role of local government

Local governments should adopt nature positive as a Council-wide objective. They should develop objectives and science-based targets to contribute to Nature Positive and report on progress.

Local governments should review and reform local policies and programs to improve outcomes for biodiversity. This includes land-use planning, public land management, road development, waste management, urban greening policies, and bylaws relating to trees, lawns and gardens.

Local governments should support communities to reduce their biodiversity impacts and take action to restore nature.

Local governments should assess where they are having direct negative impacts on biodiversity through their operations, built assets and procurement and act to reduce these impacts.

Role of business

Biodiversity loss and ecosystem changes can have significant impacts on business. Businesses must factor nature into decision-making and contribute to Nature Positive.

A business should commit to Nature Positive at a board level and develop a roadmap which includes targets, time-frames and responsibilities.

A business should assess and disclose impacts and dependencies on nature across the business, including value chains and financial portfolios.

The mitigation hierarchy should be applied to individual projects and value chains. This means avoiding and minimizing impacts on biodiversity, restoring biodiversity impacted, and offsetting residual impacts as a last resort and never for irreplaceable biodiversity.

To drive the systemic changes required to achieve nature positive, businesses must work across their entire sphere of influence, including advocating for nature to other businesses and government at all levels.

Role for science

It is essential that claims to nature positive status by businesses and levels of government be backed by rigorous evidence, including but not limited to nature data.

There is a critical role for science to help understand and describe business and government impacts and dependence on nature throughout value chains, identify appropriate forms of action to mitigate and avoid impacts, and support measurement, monitoring and reporting of outcomes for nature.

At present, there exists a lack of coordination and standardisation of scientific advice for business and governments attempting to become nature positive.

Scientists and researchers can support business and government transitions with practical and implementable advice, assessment and measurement systems.

Businesses and governments can support this by to properly resourcing the science, data collection, and coordination needed to bring the best possible evidence to nature positive transitions

Please download the report for more details.

How to cite this material: Biodiversity Council (2024). What does Nature Positive mean for business and governments. Oct 2024. Report. Biodiversity Council. Melbourne, Australia.