Nature Trends for 2025: A Year of Transition

2025 is poised to be a defining year for the corporate response to nature-related risks. With key reporting frameworks taking effect, global biodiversity goals gaining traction, and regulatory landscapes shifting, businesses must adapt to a complex environment where nature is no longer an optional agenda item but a core business imperative.

Below, we explore the macro trends shaping nature-focused corporate strategy in 2025 and how businesses can prepare for this pivotal year.

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1. Navigating Regulatory Uncertainty

The global regulatory landscape for nature-positive business practices is rapidly evolving.

On one side of the Atlantic, the EU Omnibus Bill is consolidating and refining biodiversity and sustainability regulations, aiming to reduce complexity. Conversely, the potential rollback of environmental protections in the United States under renewed political leadership introduces uncertainty. Yet, within the U.S., states and cities are stepping up with nature-focused regulations, creating a patchwork of requirements.

Insight

Beyond the noise, the regulatory landscape for nature will change less than we think. Within the EU, the Omnibus bill will likely result in relatively small changes to nature reporting requirements within the CSRD regulation: increasing the threshold for “large undertakings” to EUR 450 million turnover and 1000 employees, scrapping sector-specific standards and restricting value chain reporting, and potentially reducing the number of ESRS data points. In the US, the federal government had only limited plans to accelerate the nature positive agenda. Regulatory progress will shift to the states and remain largely inactive at the Federal level.

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2. The TNFD and CSRD Era Matures

2025 will see the first wave of reports under Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the second wave under the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) recommendations. These frameworks represent a paradigm shift as businesses are no longer just reporting on climate; they must now account for their impacts and dependencies on nature.
The publication of these initial reports will set a new standard for disclosure, offering a clearer sense of expectations and benchmarks. Companies not yet prepared to disclose will face increasing pressure to understand and act on nature-related risks.

Insight

The quality of TNFD reports will increase in the second year of reporting. We will see an expansion in scope of reporting efforts away from core operations to start including ever more of the supply chain. We will also see an increase in the quality of data, such as an improvement in the assessment of impact and dependency materiality beyond ENCORE to something more tailored to the location and management practice of sites in an organisation's operations and value chain.

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3. Building Transition Pathways

As the climate-nature agenda matures, businesses are asked to move from ambition to action. Transition pathways – comprehensive plans that align corporate sustainability goals with global and national frameworks – are becoming a critical tool.
Yet, many companies lack clarity on how to build these pathways, particularly when it comes to integrating nature. The GBF and national biodiversity strategies (NBSAPs) provide valuable blueprints, but corporates must tailor these to their specific contexts and industries.

Insight

Transition pathways are valuable in helping businesses align with regulatory expectations as well as enabling organisations to future-proof their operations against climate and nature risks. Investors and other stakeholders will increasingly demand that companies disclose their nature-related dependencies and publish their plans to mitigate risks. As such, we’ll see more businesses embedding nature considerations into their core strategies, restructuring value chains, and setting clear priorities for regenerative and sustainable practices.

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4. Integrating Nature and Climate

One of the most significant shifts in 2025 will be the growing recognition that climate and nature goals are inextricably linked. Historically treated as separate challenges, these issues are two sides of the same coin: healthy ecosystems act as carbon sinks, while climate change exacerbates biodiversity loss.
Leading companies are beginning to integrate these perspectives, moving away from siloed strategies toward a single, cohesive approach. This includes integrating work on TCFD and TNFD in one consolidated effort. This transition requires a shift in mindset and alignment across internal teams and external reporting frameworks.

Insight

For a business to understand and take action on nature and climate, it will typically start with the work done to measure and report on climate change. This will need to be enhanced by adding in nature-related impacts and dependencies as well as assessing physical nature risks to built assets and natural assets. Transition and systemic risks from nature must also be developed from scratch. Nature scenarios remain nascent so many companies will continue to use climate risks for forecasting purposes in the short term.

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The Road Ahead

For sustainability leaders, 2025 isn’t just another year. It’s a year of transition.

From regulatory uncertainty to new reporting requirements, and outcome-based targets to integrated strategies, the challenges are significant. But so are the opportunities.

The businesses that succeed in this transition will be those that embrace complexity, take bold action, and position themselves as leaders in the sustainability space.

Nature Trends for 2025: A Year of Transition

1. Navigating Regulatory Uncertainty

2. The TNFD and CSRD Era Matures

3. Building Transition Pathways

4. Integrating Nature and Climate

The Road Ahead

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