Insights

International insights

Business for Nature’s 2025 year in review(Opens in a new tab/window)

Business for Nature’s CEO, Eva Zabey, has provided(Opens in a new tab/window) a review of action on nature for 2025. Eva notes that while there have been some setbacks, with policy backtracking and jurisdictional changes, nature was firmly on the radar of COP30 and business voices supported action at the UN Oceans Conference. Business for Nature’s expanded national projects in Indonesia, Nigeria, Ecuador, Chile, Mexico and South Africa is enabling governments and businesses to collaborate to protect nature while strengthening economies. Eva predicts 2026 is going to be about convergence and calls for collective business leadership to show up intentional, aligned and impactful for COP17.

Visit Business for Nature’s global campaign ‘It’s Now for Nature Pulse(Opens in a new tab/window)’ to read examples of leading corporate strategies on nature.

Nature Positive: role of the technology sector(Opens in a new tab/window)

The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Oliver Wyman, has published(Opens in a new tab/window) a new report in its Nature Positive Transitions series focusing on the technology sector. The report highlights the technology sector’s key impacts and dependencies on nature, and notes that in the US alone, over the past two years USD64 billion worth of data centre projects have been blocked or delayed due to local opposition, driven by concerns over access to natural resources, ecosystem disruption and pollution. The report notes the significant benefits that can be obtained by addressing nature considerations, including securing social and regulatory licence to grow and operate, and reducing input costs. Seven priority actions are recommended for the technology sector for transitioning to a nature-positive future, including advancing resilient and restorative water use. 

AFi launches new guidance for responsible supply chains(Opens in a new tab/window) 

The Accountability Framework initiative (AFi) has launched(Opens in a new tab/window) its new guidance, which guides companies and financial institutions on how to establish responsible supply chain commitments, as well as how to create the stepwise plans and milestones needed to achieve them. Furthermore, the guidance supports companies’ business partners and other stakeholders in assessing a company’s ambition levels, plans, and performance. The guidance represents the consensus of the 22 environmental and human rights NGOs that comprise the AFi Coalition and reflects multi-stakeholder input gained via the AFi’s public consultation earlier in the year. 

New Zealand Government unveils overhaul of planning system(Opens in a new tab/window)

The New Zealand Government has introduced(Opens in a new tab/window) the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill to Parliament, with the Government aiming to pass them into law in 2026. The introduced bills are intended to replace the Resource Management Act 1991 with a planning system based on a blueprint developed by the Expert Advisory Group on the Resource Management Reform. The Planning Bill is focused on enabling development and regulating how land is used, and the Natural Environment Bill is focused on managing the impacts from the use of natural resources and protecting the natural environment from harm. More than 100 existing plans will be reduced to 17 regional combined plans that bring together spatial, land use and natural environment planning in one place, making it easier for New Zealanders to know what they can do with their property.

Political agreement on Omnibus simplification package(Opens in a new tab/window)

The European Commission has welcomed(Opens in a new tab/window) the provisional agreement, between the European Parliament and EU Member States, on the Omnibus I simplification package. Amendments to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) aim to simplify and harmonise sustainability reporting and due diligence practices across EU Member States. Changes include removing reporting and due diligence requirements for many companies, introducing more flexibility for companies that remain subject to the mandatory requirements. The changes are designed to ease business operations while upholding the original policy objectives of the directives.

Redefining systemic risk governance in the insurance industry(Opens in a new tab/window)

ClimateWise, part of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership’s Centre for Sustainable Finance, has published(Opens in a new tab/window) a report outlining the critical role of insurers in advancing systemic risk governance. The report considers practical examples of how climate and nature risks manifest across the agriculture, real estate, energy, transport and marine sectors. The examples show how disruptions transmit through interconnected financial systems. For example, in real estate, over 13 million U.S. properties face 100-year flood risks, yet banks and insurers often rely on divergent models that overlook natural buffers such as wetlands. The report introduces Systemic Risk Governance—a proactive approach that replaces fragmented risk management with cross-sector collaboration to build shared resilience. It calls for insurers, banks, investors, and regulators to work together using shared data, integrated models, and common resilience goals.

Turning flood losses into a climate resilient market(Opens in a new tab/window)

The FloodAction Coalition – uniting insurers, landowners, and investors – has announced(Opens in a new tab/window) plans to develop a UK-wide investment market for flood and drought resilience by 2028. It seeks to scale nature-based solutions into investable infrastructure. Under the market, insurers, investors, and asset holders will be able to co-fund interventions such as woodland restoration and leaky dams, which can cut flood peaks by 10–30% at roughly half the cost of engineered defences. The Coalition is currently identifying the first potential project areas and is developing flexible financing structures to de-risk investment. 

USDA launches new regenerative pilot program(Opens in a new tab/window)

The United States Department of Agriculture has announced a US$700 million Regenerative Pilot Program to help American farmers adopt practices that improve soil health, enhance water quality, and boost long-term productivity, all while strengthening America’s food and fibre supply.

Patagonia's work in progress: how sustainable is Patagonia?(Opens in a new tab/window)

OneStop ESG has published(Opens in a new tab/window) a spotlight on Patagonia’s, a global apparel brand, sustainability work in progress. Informed by Patagonia 2025 Impact Report(Opens in a new tab/window), the article highlights Patagonia’s mindset in a quote by founder Yvon Chouinard “We do not have all the answers, but the fear of getting things wrong in the process cannot stop us from trying to get things right in the end.” Patagonia has consistently explained that most of its climate impact is locked into the material and manufacturing stages that occur long before a product reaches a shelf. Fibre production, dyeing, finishing and fabric conversion account for an estimated 92 to 97 percent of Patagonia’s carbon footprint. One of Patagonia’s most significant experiments is the shift from carbon offsets to carbon insetting. Instead of purchasing credits from unrelated projects, Patagonia invests directly in emissions reductions within its own supply chain. Through its Verified Carbon Intervention Unit, Patagonia allocated US$37.3 million in FY25 to support interventions at supplier facilities. CEO Ryan Gellert explains the challenge: “You cannot solve the climate crisis through your own operations alone. The real work is in the supply chain.”

IPBES set to launch its business and biodiversity assessment in February 2026(Opens in a new tab/window)

The Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has announced(Opens in a new tab/window) it will launch its first-ever 'fast track' assessment report on 9 February 2026 at the twelfth session of the IPBES Plenary in Manchester, UK. The report, which is the culmination of 80 experts from 35 countries over almost 3 years, aims to provide information and options that can be used by businesses and financial institutions to drive better outcomes for biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people.