Nature’s Comeback Plan(s)

As London Climate Action Week is underway, 28 UK businesses, financial institutions, and organisations have publicly endorsed WWF and the Green Finance Institute’s proposal for the development of nature-positive pathways in the UK economy. Other governments may face similar proposals from the private sector as the need for coordinated planning across public and private sectors to operationalize the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is becoming clear.

The endorsement comes as biodiversity loss is no longer considered a distant environmental concern— it’s now also a material risk to business continuity, asset value, and long-term economic stability. For financial institutions and corporates, this signals a shift in expectations to align activities and financial flows with nature positive outcomes, alongside and integrated with net-zero objectives. To do this effectively, they are increasingly participating in the “transition ecosystem” taking shape —one that connects sectoral nature-positive pathways, corporate nature transition plans, and local landscape approaches.

Governments are beginning to develop sectoral “nature-positive pathways”—national plans that outline how key sectors will align the GBF targets and government's biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs). For example, they will outline how much nitrogen reduction is needed from agriculture, and by when. By mainstreaming biodiversity across all levels of the economy, these pathways provide essential clarity for businesses and investors, helping them anticipate regulatory changes and align their strategies with environmental targets.

For financial institutions, they offer a benchmark for assessing portfolio alignment and identifying transition risks and opportunities. Countries like the UK and France are already taking steps in this direction.

Nature transition plans enable financial institutions and companies to define their specific role in halting and reversing biodiversity loss, while managing nature-related risks and enhancing resilience. They break down the transition into actionable steps, milestones, resource allocations, and accountability mechanisms, and ultimately science based targets.

Guidance from the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and WWF is already available, offering a structured approach that mirrors familiar climate transition planning. Some early real-world nature transition plans have already emerged, such as those by Aviva & JDE Peets.

Nature does not operate within corporate boundaries. That’s why landscape approaches—collaborative, place-based planning involving multiple stakeholders—are essential. These approaches convene stakeholders behind shared plans that align environmental, social, and economic goals within a specific region, reducing risks and enhancing resilience.

For corporates and financial institutions, engaging in credible landscape initiatives can de-risk operations, strengthen supply chains, and identify investment opportunities, for which WWF published investor guidance this week.

For example, WWF’s Living Landscapes Programme in Sabah, Malaysia, unites government, business (including a global brand), and communities to balance conservation with sustainable palm oil production, and aligns stakeholders behind a common roadmap to deliver both environmental and social benefits and reduce nature-related risks.

Corporate plans ultimately need to deliver outcomes within specific countries and places. The three levels of planning—sectoral pathways, corporate plans, and landscape approaches—are deeply interconnected and mutually reinforcing. Sectoral pathways provide policy direction and clarity; corporate plans translate that into country-level business actions; and landscape approaches enable effective implementation on the ground, where nature-related risks and opportunities are most tangible. The three-way flow of information between planning levels may be catalysed by their common structural building blocks: clear goals, implementation roadmaps, stakeholder engagement, pooled resources, monitoring systems, and accountability mechanisms.

Crucially, progress at one level can unlock momentum at others. Corporates’ (investment) plans can inform national pathways and drive local collaborations, even where sectoral pathways or landscape initiatives don’t yet exist (as they may take time to develop), while also already realising some immediate impact and risk relief.

Nature’s recovery depends on smart, connected planning. For corporates and financial institutions, this is a chance to lead—not just react. By developing nature transition plans that inform, and align with evolving national sectoral goals and support landscape-level coordination, the private sector can help turn ambition into impact—and build resilience for the future.