A new World Economic Forum white paper sets out how our economies stand to gain from nature-positive policies.
Implementing nature-positive policies could generate an estimated $10 trillion in new annual business value and create 395 million jobs by 2030.
The regulatory and business environment needs to change to enable nature-positive opportunities to deliver a competitive financial return.

Governments and businesses that embrace nature-positive policies, practices and investments stand to gain, according to a new white paper from a World Economic Forum working group on scaling investments in nature. Put together with input from a cross-section of public and private sector experts who sit on the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Nature-based Solutions, the paper illustrates what is possible in terms of ‘nature-positive investments’. It also sets out what needs to happen to get us there, including real-life examples from many different sectors.
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It is estimated that implementing nature-positive policies could generate more than $10 trillion in new annual business value and create 395 million jobs by 2030. So why isn’t it happening at the necessary scale already? Current policy frameworks and economic models have failed to recognize the true value of nature. This is putting the world at high risk of large-scale economic and social breakdown, as detailed in the World Economic Forum's Global Risk Report, published last month.

The aim of the new white paper is to help companies and governments navigate this complex world of risk and reward when it comes to nature. It lays out two complementary pathways for the private sector specifically: one, to mainstream investments in nature that already demonstrate a positive business case, and two, where financial returns are not yet in place, to call on policy makers in governments and international institutions to create an enabling environment for investments in nature to become more financially attractive.

Nature-positive solutions can already be advantageous

We found examples of ‘nature-positive’ action across a surprising range of sectors, including mining, retail, beauty, automotive, banking, hydroelectric, agriculture, forestry and insurance. All these had a business case and could drive nature-positive outcomes, including meeting climate objectives.

The paper describes many different types of action that the private sector can take to avoid and reduce negative impacts on natural ecosystems, to restore ecosystems, and to transform established practices that have been driving nature loss to date. For example, there are companies using nature-based solutions as a way of improving their bottom line and others who are valuing natural assets and ecosystem services to drive their own operational decision making.

There are groups of companies investing in their own operations – for example using regenerative agriculture approaches – to increase the resilience of their supply chains and to help them adapt to climate change. There are also many innovative examples of managing risk, using risk-sharing mechanisms with longer-term horizons and layered income sources, including carbon finance and payments for ecosystem services.

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