Participants represented a diverse mix of sectors - finance, energy, consumer goods, construction - but the themes that emerged were surprisingly consistent. While the contexts differ, the underlying challenge is the same: nature is becoming a material business issue far faster than most organisations are prepared for, and leaders are looking for practical ways to respond.
In this post, we share anonymised reflections from the discussion: what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to happen next.
A universal challenge surfaced: data quality.
One participant summarised it well: “To ask for budget, you have to be absolutely confident you are asking for the right thing, and can evidence why.”
Building robust data foundations will generally involve collecting data from across the organisation, particularly the supply chain. Only with this information can teams precisely and confidently assess their nature-related impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities. We’ve built our solutions to make this a robust, resource-efficient prioritisation process to arm you with that evidence base.
Good data isn’t the whole solution, but it is the foundational layer for any budget ask. Rigorous, decision-grade metrics are the difference between “this feels important” and “here is the quantified case for investment.”
Sustainability teams cannot deliver nature strategies alone; they need the active involvement of functions such as procurement and finance. Input from other parts of the organisation is tactically useful for collecting and interpreting data. More importantly it ensures the results are understood and there is buy in on the need for action - where material issues are found.
When these functions are involved early, conversations shift from “Why should we do this?” to “How do we allocate resources to reduce risk and unlock value?” It also opens up access to often larger, more durable budget pots. Find your champions and get cross-functional buy-in early.
Many participants highlighted the importance of framing nature in the language of the current business priorities: your mission, your annual goals, and financial terms such as revenue growth, risk mitigation, cost management, and reputation. Some participants referenced the importance of connecting the nature and climate agenda, where climate goals have established budgets and buy-in from executive teams.
One participant described how positioning nature as a driver of cost savings, downside protection, and asset resilience made it far easier to secure executive support. Broad coalitions don’t just accelerate progress—they de-silo the work and embed nature into core business planning.
The message was clear: if nature is perceived as a distraction from the business agenda, it will always struggle for funding. Speak to the priorities of the business overall, especially teams who control budgets.
Several leaders reflected on the importance of storytelling to bring to life the materials nature related risks the business may face. Data may not always be strong enough to build traditional business cases, but leveraging real life experience from peer organisations or industries can make executives take notice.
The standout example came from the cocoa supply chain shock of 2024. A combination of virus, fungus, and drought across West Africa caused cocoa production to drop sharply. Prices surged from roughly $3,000 per tonne to $12,000 within months, cascading into higher costs for manufacturers and severe volatility for investors.
Companies that had previously invested in long-term supplier relationships and nature-positive farming practices, designed specifically to reduce vulnerability to disease and drought, fared far better. Their costs were lower, their supply more stable, and their share price far less volatile.
It is a story that doesn’t require specialist knowledge to understand. It is simple, grounded, and highly relatable:
The more leaders can tell stories like this, supported by solid data but accessible enough for any executive, the faster nature risk will shift from an ESG concern to a mainstream financial one.
For industries with significant land or community footprints, participants agreed that the most important risk is often not environmental regulation but local permission to operate.
Protecting an organisation’s ability to operate can be the biggest budget unlock. Local permitting processes, community trust, and the political dynamics of place can swing billions in asset value. Investments in nature stewardship become about operational risk management.
Nature-related actions that might seem abstract in a headquarters boardroom are deeply concrete in the field. Restoring a watershed, managing tailings with biodiversity in mind, or preserving forests around a mine are not just ecological choices - they are essential to avoiding shutdowns, delays, protests, or long-term reputational and legal crises.
This reframing resonated across sectors. It suggests that organisations may need to stop treating nature as a “sustainability issue” and start recognising it as a precondition for business continuity.
A comparison of regional political landscapes underscored how deeply government policy influences corporate behaviour. Participants described:
In China, for example, there are strong indications that transitioning to a “green economy” will be a priority in the next national five-year plan. This provides clarity to the entire financial system, enabling organisations to plan and invest with confidence.
Contrast this with Europe, where the future of the CSRD has been uncertain and sustainability has slipped down the political agenda in favour of national security and AI competitiveness. This inconsistency creates hesitancy and slows organisational momentum.
The takeaway: policy stability matters. When government signals are clear and long-term, companies move. When they are fragmented or politicised, sustainability leaders are left battling internal headwinds.
Across all discussions, one overarching theme emerged: nature is becoming a central business issue, but organisations are still building the tools, language, and internal coalitions needed to manage it effectively.
While the journey is far from simple, there was clear optimism in the room. Companies are no longer asking whether nature matters, but how to build it into decisions, budgets, and strategies. And that, ultimately, may be the most important signal: the shift from awareness to action has already begun.