‘Nature positive’ has hit the mainstream. We need to ensure it delivers transformation, not greenwashing

‘Nature positive’ has hit the mainstream. We need to ensure it delivers transformation, not greenwashing

November 28 – It’s rare that environmental terms become buzzwords, but that is what’s happened in recent months to “nature positive”.

The phrase is suddenly everywhere, from nature-positive insurance, opens new tab to nature-positive fashion shows and nature-positive cities, opens new tab. Major businesses, including the likes of Salesforce, GSK, Holcim and Unilever, are setting out how they plan to contribute to a nature-positive world. In 2024, the Australian government will host the world’s first nature-positive summit.

But what does it mean? Put simply, nature positive means halting and reversing nature loss to ensure there is more nature in the world in 2030 than there was in 2020, and continued recovery after that.

This attention on nature is welcome and much needed. Humanity has, for the most part, disregarded its impact on the natural world. We have drilled, farmed, logged and trawled without paying much attention to the costs to nature. This has created a false economy, one that has been growing, while nature and its contributions to people have been declining. Despite the world’s GDP being dependent on nature, we have taken it for granted and plunged our planet into the red. Current rates of production and consumption are so unsustainable that by August 2 this year, human activities had already used up, opens new tab the total amount of natural resources that the Earth can regenerate this year.

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‘Nature positive’ has hit the mainstream. We need to ensure it delivers transformation, not greenwashing

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‘Nature positive’ has hit the mainstream. We need to ensure it delivers transformation, not greenwashing