Aviva and WWF have jointly released a report titled “National nature-positive pathways to guide policy and private sector action,” pushing for collaborative efforts between the private sector and the UK government by developing nature-positive strategies.
The approach aims to address both the climate crisis and the degradation of nature, which are seen as critical threats to the economy and financial system. The report emphasises that neither the government nor the private sector can tackle these crises in isolation.
The proposed solution calls for the creation of “nature-positive pathways,” modelled after the UK Climate Change Committee’s Net Zero Pathways, to provide businesses with the necessary guidance to meet national and international environmental goals. The pathways would be integrated with current climate strategies to address both climate and biodiversity challenges together.
Aviva chief sustainability officer Claudine Blamey declared: “The prosperity of society, our economy, and financial system depend on the health and resilience of nature and its biodiversity... Developing nature-positive pathways, together with net zero pathways, will provide much-needed clarity on how different economic sectors are expected to transition to protect and restore nature.”
WWF chief economist Karen Ellis, meanwhile, underscored the need for the government to provide businesses with stability and direction to encourage investments aimed at nature restoration.
“Businesses have told us that the transition to a nature-positive, net-zero economy is one of the biggest business opportunities since the industrial revolution,” she said, adding that the government must define clear sector-specific plans similar to those used to combat climate change.
The WWF-Aviva report highlights how nature-positive pathways could benefit the UK by clarifying policy and regulatory direction; ensuring alignment with the Global Biodiversity Framework; coordinating climate transition and biodiversity strategies; and encouraging long-term investments and fostering commercial opportunities.
The report includes a case study on the UK agriculture sector, outlining how a nature-positive transition could be achieved. It presents an example of how the sector’s impact on nature can be mitigated and offers insights into how similar pathways could be developed for other industries in the country, supporting the overarching goal of a net-zero, nature-positive future.
What do you think about this story? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
