nature strategies can help you navigate rising expectations from regulators, investors, customers, and communities while aligning with the global biodiversity framework and recent climate dialogues.

This short guide explains why these moves matter for U.S. companies and local communities. After COP15, momentum from COP28 and the road to COP16 is shaping market norms, voluntary disclosure, and procurement. You’ll see plain-language steps that cut exposure to nature loss risks while noting trade-offs and the need for local input.

We preview seven practical moves—from assessing hotspots to partnering locally—so every business can find an entry point without assuming one path fits all. This is not legal or financial advice; it’s a best-practices guide to help you ask better questions, document assumptions, verify data, and adapt over time. For related climate actions, see a compact list of approaches at ten strategies every climate plan needs.

Introduction: Why nature strategies matter for your business and community

The policy landscape from COP15 through COP28 makes clear that companies will face new expectations on impacts and dependencies.

In December 2022, 196 countries adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15 to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. COP28 in 2023 linked climate change and the natural world, adding $2.6 billion in commitments and raising reporting expectations.

Today’s context: From COP15 to COP28 and the road to COP16

The World Economic Forum lists biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse among top global risks. UNEP reports a wide finance gap: about $200 billion going to solutions versus roughly $7 trillion flowing to activities that harm ecosystems.

The business case without hype: Risks, dependencies, and near-term opportunities

Many companies rely on ecosystem services for inputs, resilience, and continuity—sectors like agriculture and construction are especially exposed.

• Every business needs clarity on water scarcity, land-use pressure, and ecosystem health to manage operational risks.
• Near-term opportunities include piloting watershed stewardship and helping suppliers improve traceability and emissions tracking.

How this guide helps you act responsibly

Start with assessment, set clear targets and governance, then test locally appropriate nature-based solutions. Expect programs to evolve as data improves and avoid overclaims in external communication.

Cross-functional involvement—procurement, operations, ERM, and communications—makes plans realistic and defensible. Align actions with GBF-aligned frameworks and reputable sources when you build your roadmap.

Grounding your approach: Assess your impacts, dependencies, and hotspots

Start by mapping where your raw materials come from and which local pressures threaten supply and reputation. A local lens helps you spot water stress, land conversion, and proximity to sensitive habitats.

Map value chains with a local lens

Trace value chains down to sourcing regions and facilities. Note basins with low water availability, signs of land-use change, and nearby protected areas.

Collect practical data decision-makers can use

Collect three essentials first: origin, volume, and basic traceability. Improve precision over time as suppliers and farmers share more data.

Prioritize hotspots for action and investment

Rank locations by business relevance and ecological importance. Use simple screening tools and local stakeholder input to verify signals before committing funds.

• Assign ownership of datasets and document assumptions for audits.
• Integrate metrics into ERM and operations to avoid parallel systems.
• Use a decision matrix that weighs feasibility, co-benefits, and community feedback.

Track quality indicators such as completeness and timeliness to build confidence in your management and to refine targets over time.

Set credible direction: Science-based targets and aligned governance

Turn site-level signals into a practical target framework that the whole company can use. Use the Science Based Targets Network guidance to set science-based targets that are time-bound and tied to your top hotspots.

Use phased, place-based targets

Start with local goals for hotspot sites and let those inform enterprise targets. Document assumptions, data gaps, and interim checkpoints so reviewers see the logic behind each target.

Align governance and roles

Assign clear ownership: procurement engages suppliers, ERM folds risks into planning, operations executes site actions, and marketing ensures honest messaging. This avoids siloed work and mixed signals to stakeholders.

• Lightweight template: local target → regional aggregation → enterprise commitment.
• Integrate targets into capital planning and supplier contracts for accountability.
• Train teams on materiality so they can interpret site data and act.

Be transparent about trade-offs, invite feedback through grievance channels, and schedule periodic external reviews to refine your approach. Your business needs nature strategy that is local, accountable, and practical.

Nature-based solutions on the ground: From mangroves to regenerative agriculture

Hands-on solutions, chosen with communities, make ecosystems more resilient and operations less vulnerable. Focus on local design so projects match coastal, farm, or urban conditions. Avoid one-size-fits-all fixes and test ideas with pilots.

Coastal protection and restoration

Mangrove restoration acts as a living buffer. It reduces wave energy and stabilizes sediments along vulnerable coasts. That lowers erosion and can cut damage to nearby infrastructure.

Working lands and agriculture

On farms, simple regenerative practices help soil quality and resilience. Use cover crops, reduced tillage, and diversified rotations tailored to local agronomy.

Engage farmers through training, on-farm trials, and agronomic support so practices fit schedules and budgets.

Urban and freshwater projects

Wetlands, riparian buffers, and green infrastructure slow runoff and filter water. Site-specific design and permitting are essential. These projects also add public green space.

Implementation tips

Partner locally—work with NGOs, universities, and tribal nations to co-design and monitor projects. Start with pilot plots and adaptive monitoring to learn before scaling.

“Baseline mapping, stakeholder consultation, seasonal monitoring, and clear milestones keep projects credible and local.”

• Sample milestones: habitat mapping, consultations, implementation windows, seasonal checks.
• Include microbial soil dynamics when evaluating outcomes; microbes affect methane and nutrient cycles.
• Be transparent: timelines and benefits vary by site; avoid broad promises.

Communicate simply: emphasize local stewardship and education rather than sweeping claims. That builds trust and keeps expectations realistic.

Transform supply chains: Conversion-free sourcing and circular design

Make supply-chain change practical by pairing clear sourcing rules with product redesign pilots.

Start small and stage up: define scope (commodities, geographies), run a rapid risk screen, then onboard priority suppliers with timebound commitments.

Deforestation- and conversion-free commitments

Set traceability checkpoints at farm, processor, and mill levels. Use supplier codes of conduct that reference land-use safeguards and offer training rather than only penalties.

• Onboard: risk screen → contract clause → verification plan.
• Grievance: clear reporting, remediation paths, and support for corrective action.
• Pilots: partner with agriculture suppliers to trial conversion-free production in key regions.

Circular product choices

Work with procurement and R&D to test refillable, reusable, waterless, or higher recycled-content options that keep performance and safety intact.

“Track recovery rates and supplier coverage, then align claims to verified design changes.”

Governance and metrics: track material recovery, recycled content, supplier coverage, and scenario plans for supply disruptions. Review specs quarterly and adjust as new materials and processes prove viable.

Disclose and finance wisely: TNFD, CSRD, and ISSB as enablers

Clear disclosure and smart financing help you turn ecological signals into practical financial decisions. Use frameworks to structure internal decision-making and external reporting without treating disclosure as a promise of outcomes.

Use TNFD to assess, manage, and disclose risks and opportunities

The taskforce nature-related financial recommendations help you map dependencies and impacts into governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics/targets.

Pilot TNFD-aligned assessments to reveal exposure to land-use change, water stress, and supplier risks. That makes operational risk visible to procurement and finance.

Leverage CSRD and ISSB to strengthen controls and investor dialogue

CSRD tightens reporting in the EU and pushes better documentation. ISSB’s guidelines anchor climate and broader sustainability disclosure.

Both frameworks raise expectations across value chains. Use them to improve internal controls, investor conversations, and cross-border comparability.

Practical steps for your team:

• Build a disclosure roadmap aligning timelines, data sources, and verification across sustainability, finance, and risk.
• Link reported metrics to science-based targets and show assumptions and uncertainty ranges.
• Create a cross-functional review committee to harmonize reporting on emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, carbon, and ecosystem impacts.
• Run scenario analysis to test how ecosystem change could affect inputs, operations, and potential financial effects.

“Transparent disclosure clarifies choices; it does not guarantee avoided nature loss or fixed financial outcomes.”

Annual checklist for updates:

• Data refreshes and supplier engagement status
• Verification options and third-party review timing
• Board briefings on residual risk and risk management improvements

Sector playbooks you can adapt

Use sector playbooks to translate high-level goals into practical actions you can test and scale.

Agrifood: support farmers and adopt conversion-free production

Quick-start checklist for agrifood: adopt conversion-free policies, fund farmer training in regenerative practices, and form landscape partnerships in high-risk regions.

Mancia: tie purchases to clear procurement specs and help suppliers meet verification steps.

Energy and infrastructure: recycled inputs and water stewardship

Specify recycled steel and concrete aggregates in contracts. Integrate water stewardship into construction planning and monitor local water use.

Cement and construction materials: water recycling and artificial wetlands

Install onsite water recycling systems and pilot artificial wetlands to treat runoff and improve onsite water quality.

Household and personal care: nature-conscious product portfolios

Expand refillable packaging, test waterless formulations, and design durable or reusable offerings to cut resource use in production and use.

Cross-cutting actions: collaborate across value chains to pilot region-specific solutions, assess local ecosystems before deployment, and document assumptions for continuous improvement.

“Start small, measure locally, and share what you learn with industry coalitions to speed wider adoption.”

Align playbooks to your enterprise goals and hotspot priorities by folding sector actions into procurement specs, supplier audits, and R&D roadmaps.

Public engagement and behavior change that stick

Effective public engagement turns good intentions into everyday actions that your teams and partners can follow. Keep messages simple and focused on what you want people to do, and explain why it matters locally.

Design communications to motivate suppliers, employees, and communities

Tailor your ask: for suppliers, explain the technical step and the timeline; for employees, make participation easy and rewarding; for communities, show local benefits and listen first.

Pair asks with support. Run training for suppliers and give realistic timeframes so commitments are credible. Use internal challenges and recognition programs to boost participation without overpromising results.

• Use clear, local messages that state the practical behavior requested.
• Set up feedback loops so communities can shape projects and you can adapt.
• Measure engagement quality: participation rates, follow-through, and honest feedback.

Tell short stories about pilots and lessons learned to normalize iteration. Keep technical details in appendices and spotlight concrete actions in outreach.

“Focus on participation and learning; avoid sweeping claims and celebrate small wins.”

Partner with trusted local groups to co-host events and create accessible channels for questions and concerns. For a practical behavioral design guide, see the BIT brief on change in environmental programs at behavior change for nature.

Measure what matters: Practical, local metrics for progress

Measure what matters by combining simple local indicators with the operational data your teams already collect. Keep the approach pragmatic and iterative so you can learn while you improve.

Track ecosystem condition alongside operational KPIs

Start with a compact core set that ties field signals to business metrics. For example, monitor water availability, habitat condition, and basic biodiversity signals alongside production, downtime, and supplier coverage.

Use standardized protocols so site data remains comparable. Pair field checks with simple forms or mobile apps to reduce errors.

• Integrate greenhouse gas emissions and other emissions where relevant to reveal co-benefits or trade-offs with ecosystem goals.
• Set up sentinel plots or transects in restoration areas to observe ecosystem attributes over time.
• Engage local experts and communities to calibrate indicators and interpret trends.
• Document data limitations and add confidence ratings so decision-makers see uncertainty clearly.

Run quarterly reviews at the site level and aggregate results annually for enterprise reporting. Test low-cost digital tools for field capture but keep quality checks in place.

“Metrics should evolve: start simple, be transparent about methods, and refine indicators as knowledge and tech improve.”

Collaborate for scale: Policy, coalitions, and shared landscapes

When firms align on common steps, shared investments stretch further and deliver clearer outcomes. Use collaboration to turn pilots into regional programs that benefit suppliers, communities, and your bottom line.

ACT-D in practice: Assess, Commit, Transform, Disclose with peers

Assess together: pool hotspot data and compare value chains so you avoid repeating supplier asks.

Commit with peers: set comparable timebound goals that make joint procurement and finance easier.

Transform by sharing tools, templates, and methods to scale locally designed nature-based solutions.

Disclose in step: align reporting templates so investors and communities see consistent progress.

Responsible policy engagement to support the Global Biodiversity Framework

Engage in policy debates constructively. Back GBF-aligned rules and be transparent about lobbying positions and corporate commitments.

• Form cross-company working groups to test methods and share data templates.
• Support TNFD early adoption to set precedents for nature-related financial disclosures.
• Document outcomes and open tools where possible to speed learning.

“Collaboration works best when governance, conflict-of-interest safeguards, and clear roles are in place.”

Prepare case studies for COP16 by sharing verifiable lessons and scaling what proves durable in shared landscapes.

Main takeaways on nature strategies

Start where impacts are highest and learn fast. Begin with hotspots, run tight pilots, and scale what proves durable.

Use local targets to guide enterprise choices. Pair your climate plans with place-based actions so risks and co-benefits are managed together.

Start where impacts are highest, then scale across the enterprise

Focus on top hotspots and stage pilots that test assumptions, costs, and community fit.

• Prioritize hotspots, then convert pilots into policy and supplier requirements.
• Embed roles across procurement, ERM, operations, and marketing for consistent delivery.
• Document assumptions and be transparent about timelines and uncertainty.

Pair climate goals with nature-positive actions to reduce risk

Connect climate targets to site-level actions and use science-based targets where possible. Track local indicators and report progress honestly.

• Align targets, monitor results, and scale what works.
• Share progress and setbacks to help peers learn and raise the bar.
• Remember: every business needs a tailored roadmap that adapts as data and tools improve.

“A practical nature strategy evolves — iterate, verify, and collaborate responsibly.”

Conclusione

Close with a clear, practical first step. A small, well-documented pilot can start a learning cycle that builds trust with suppliers and communities.

Remember COP15 set direction, COP28 linked climate and the natural world, and COP16 will push implementation. Verify data, document methods, and update plans as facts improve.

Work with peers, local groups, and experts to design place-based actions. Align your climate goals with local ecosystem work to reduce risk and add resilience.

Bookmark trusted frameworks, respect local knowledge, and share lessons so others move faster. Thank you for reading — start with a hotspot assessment or draft a quick pilot plan for the future.