Dr Maria Fitzpatrick
Executive Director, Business For Biodiversity Ireland
Biodiversity loss is a business risk, affecting every sector and supply chain, alongside climate risk. Now, we have an opportunity to build a more resilient, nature-positive model.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Risks Report 2026 consistently ranks biodiversity loss as one of the top 10 risks we face, and it must be tackled in tandem with climate change.
According to the landmark IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment report, every business depends on biodiversity and every business impacts biodiversity to some extent. Biodiversity loss, driven by land use change, pollution and direct exploitation of resources, poses a “critical systemic risk to the economy.”
Nature: the new asset class
WEF estimates 55% of GDP ($58 trillion) depends on nature, while nature degradation could lead to global GDP losses of up to $2.7 trillion annually by 2030. Nature conservation is vital for sustainable economic growth and long-term stability. The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures cites extensive evidence, with this information on nature-related risks now becoming crucial to investors.
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager handling over €1.5 trillion in funds in Ireland, has declared nature the new asset class, factoring biodiversity, water and soil into its corporate valuations.
The Nature Positive Initiative aims for zero net loss of nature from a 2020 baseline, to net positive by 2030, and full recovery by 2050. More than 200 financial institutions have signed the Finance for Biodiversity Pledge, committing to protect and restore nature through their activities. WEF estimates a shift from extractive models to regenerative, with circular systems potentially generating $10.1 trillion in annual business opportunities and creating 395 million jobs by 2030.
every business depends on biodiversity and
every business impacts biodiversity to some extent.
Leadership on nature
So how can your business address biodiversity loss, even without a major landholding? First, integrate nature into your decision-making and apply a recognised framework. Identify nature-related impacts and dependencies. Empower staff and suppliers to make decisions that support nature to regenerate, right across your value chain.
Leadership on nature will be a key characteristic of resilient and thriving businesses in the years to come. Waiting will only increase the costs and complexity of the issues we face.
