“Reversing biodiversity loss is finally recognized as essential to safeguarding planetary health and, in turn, the future of humanity. The Nature Positive Initiative aims to bring together a multitude of organizations from different sectors to preserve the integrity and the ambition of a 2030 nature-positive global goal, broaden adoption, and guide and encourage measurable action. The historic agreement of the KMGBF must be the focus and catalyst for action from all sectors so that by the end of the decade we will have more nature in the world, not less, for the world to be a safer place for all of us. Action is urgent to avoid irreversible ecological tipping points. Nature cannot wait, and neither can humanity.”  said Marco Lambertini, Convenor of the Nature Positive Initiative, at its launch in New York City.

Core work will include preserving the integrity of ‘nature positive’ as a measurable 2030 global goal for nature for businesses, financial institutions, governments at all levels, and other stakeholders. With nature-positive ambition already receiving strong support from first movers, a priority will be supporting the roll-out of the common definition, metrics and standardized tools and practices that enable all to appropriately measure and report on their impact and contributions at the actor level.

The initiative will also advocate for and support the full KMGBF implementation by governments and other stakeholders.

“At ICLEI, we are fully committed to the Nature Positive Initiative’s goal which aligns with our mission to mobilize and support local and subnational governments in their efforts towards sustainable development. We further recognize the critical importance of collaboration and alignment of those leading actors working to halt biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation in this Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, as we collectively strive to meet the GBF targets. We are proud to be one of the core organizations driving and guiding this initiative.” highlighted Kobie Brand, Global Director, ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center.

Eva Zabey, CEO, Business for Nature emphasized “The UN biodiversity COP15 was a watershed moment. It is the first time in a multilateral agreement that governments have been so explicit about what they expect from businesses when it comes to tackling nature loss.  The next step is implementation and today’s announcement will help operationalize the term ‘nature positive’ and ensure companies and financial institutions adopt strategies that deliver meaningful, measurable and accountable action and secure positive and sustainable outcomes for all.”

“At InTent we accelerate sustainable solutions by building bridges and connecting people. The Nature Positive Initiative is a welcome coalition for executing this mission. This is about reintegrating our place as a species in the web of life on the planet. It is about identifying Nature as an opportunity for reaching our common goal of an inclusive, sustainable prosperity and not as a costly, growth limited burden. Let us plough our collective energy back within our planetary limits and reach full recovery by 2050.” explained André Hoffmann, Chairman of InTent and Vice-Chairman of Roche. 

This core group of organizations will be tasked with setting the NPI’s strategic direction, policy positions, and joint activities. They will also be responsible for convening, liaising with, and coordinating the active engagement of a much broader and inclusive constituency of partner organizations to ensure all stakeholders’ views are considered and to help support efforts to deliver nature-positive outcomes across society. 

As part of this initiative, on September 18-20, the Nature4Climate Hub held a series of events in New-York City. Each day gathered experts from various field aiming at elevating the dialogue on Nature-based Solutions to complement existing efforts on energy, industry, and transport to lessen the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss by 2030.