Nature means business: why biodiversity should be at the heart of every sustainability strategy
22/05/2026
More than half of global economic activity depends on nature, yet biodiversity loss is accelerating. For International Day for Biological Diversity 2026, we set out why every UK business needs a nature-positive strategy — and five practical steps to get started.
Every year on 22 May, the world marks the International Day for Biological Diversity. It is a moment to pause, reflect and take stock of our relationship with the natural world. In 2026, with the theme centred on biodiversity, food and health, that reflection has never felt more urgent.
The day was established by the United Nations in 2000 to mark the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992. What began as an international policy commitment has grown into a global call to action, reminding us that the health of our ecosystems underpins everything we depend on — from the food we eat to the air we breathe and the raw materials that keep our economies moving.
Why biodiversity loss is a business risk
Biodiversity loss is now one of humanity’s greatest threats. From 2000 to 2020, global forest coverage fell by almost 100 million hectares. More than 48,600 species are now threatened with extinction, representing 28% of all assessed species, according to the IUCN Red List (2025-2 update).
The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) estimates that more than half of global economic activity — some USD 44 trillion of value generation — is moderately or highly dependent on nature. When nature declines, business feels it. Supply chains are disrupted, raw material costs rise, regulatory requirements tighten and reputational expectations from customers, investors and lenders grow sharper.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, agreed in 2022, sets a target to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. TNFD reporting is now being adopted by a growing number of major UK corporates. For businesses with EU supply chain exposure, CSRD requires nature-related disclosures. Biodiversity is moving from the margins of sustainability strategy to its centre.
From mitigation to regeneration: what a nature-positive strategy looks like
At Wylde Connections, we encourage our clients to treat nature as a key stakeholder and a fundamental part of any credible sustainability strategy. Our eBook, The Business of Biodiversity, sets out exactly why this matters and what businesses can do about it. The fully updated 2026 edition is launching imminently.
Too much of the sustainability conversation still focuses on being “less bad”: reducing emissions, cutting waste, minimising harm. Those things matter, but they are not enough. The real shift happens when businesses move from mitigation to regeneration — actively replenishing the natural environment rather than simply slowing the rate at which they deplete it.
A nature-positive strategy does not have to mean a large budget or specialist expertise on day one. It means treating biodiversity as a business priority, mapping your nature-related risks and dependencies, setting targets, and taking practical steps in your operations, supply chain and community.
How our clients are making a difference
Across our client base, we see organisations going beyond the minimum and embedding biodiversity into the way they operate. Two examples stand out.
The P & M Group have introduced planters and green spaces across their sites as part of their sustainability journey with Wylde, bringing nature into the working environment and creating habitats for pollinators and other wildlife. Rather than viewing their premises as purely functional, they are recognising the value of spaces where nature can thrive alongside business operations.
TDP, the Derbyshire-based manufacturer that produces outdoor furniture from 100% recycled plastic, has developed a range of nature products including bird tables and hedgehog boxes, actively encouraging customers and communities to support local biodiversity. Research from the UK Green Building Council highlights a 23% decrease in sick leave taken by staff with a view of nature — reinforcing that biodiversity is not just an environmental issue but a people and productivity one too.
Five practical steps to support biodiversity in your business
Whatever your sector, size or starting point, these five steps will help you move towards a nature-positive approach.
- Partner with a nature-focused charity. Identify conservation charities aligned with your values and build long-term partnerships. This could mean supporting a local wildlife trust, sponsoring a species through a Local Biodiversity Partnership, or joining a business membership scheme with a national conservation body.
- Organise staff volunteer days in nature. Give your team time for hands-on conservation activities — clearing waste from a local river, planting trees or building bug hotels. Volunteering days boost morale, improve wellbeing and deliver measurable benefits for local ecosystems.
- Make better use of your outdoor space. Introduce planters with pollinator-friendly plants, set aside a corner for a wildlife garden, install bird feeders, hedgehog boxes or a pond. Even a small green roof or a few window boxes can create micro-habitats that support insects and birds. If P & M can transform industrial sites with planters and green spaces, there is something every business can do.
- Review your supply chain with nature in mind. Understand where your raw materials come from and how they are sourced. Choose recycled materials or those with environmental certification where possible. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the growing adoption of TNFD reporting mean that nature-related supply chain transparency is becoming an expectation, not an exception.
- Measure, report and set targets. You cannot manage what you do not measure. Map your biodiversity risks through your value chain and set meaningful targets. The TNFD’s LEAP approach (Locate, Evaluate, Assess, Prepare) gives businesses a structured framework for building their understanding of nature-related issues and dependencies.
Wylde’s commitment to nature
Protecting biodiversity is not just something we advise our clients on. It is woven into who we are. Our MD Denise Taylor chairs the Warwickshire Badger Group and serves as a trustee of Wild Earth. Through her work with the International Wildlife Coexistence Network and the Balkani Wildlife Society, Wylde is actively involved in wildlife protection, conservation education and connecting people with the natural world. Our partnership with the Chrysalis Youth Empowerment Network in Uganda extends that commitment internationally.
The businesses that will thrive in the coming decades are those that understand a fundamental truth: sustainability is not just about doing less harm. It is about moving from a mindset of extraction to one of regeneration — taking positive steps to conserve and replenish our natural environment. The International Day for Biological Diversity is a welcome reminder. But the real work happens on the other 364 days of the year.
Ready to take the next step?
Whether you are just starting your nature-positive journey or looking to take your existing commitments further, Wylde Connections can help you assess your biodiversity impact, develop a credible strategy and implement practical actions that deliver results for your business and the natural world.
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Frequently Asked Questions…
What is TNFD and does it apply to my business?
The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) is a global framework that helps organisations identify, assess and report on nature-related risks and opportunities. Currently, voluntary adoption is growing rapidly among large UK corporates and listed companies. It is not yet mandatory for SMEs, but as with climate reporting, supply chain pressure means smaller businesses are increasingly being asked to provide nature-related data by their larger customers. Understanding TNFD now puts you ahead of the curve.
What is a nature-positive strategy?
A nature-positive strategy means that a business’s activities result in a net benefit for biodiversity rather than a net loss. It goes beyond minimising harm and requires businesses to actively restore, regenerate and protect natural systems. In practice this means mapping your nature-related impacts and dependencies, setting measurable biodiversity targets, taking action in your operations and supply chain, and reporting transparently on progress.
How does biodiversity link to net zero and carbon reporting?
Biodiversity and climate are deeply interconnected. Healthy ecosystems — forests, wetlands, grasslands, soils — are major carbon sinks. Biodiversity loss weakens those sinks and accelerates climate change. Conversely, poorly planned net zero strategies (such as large-scale monoculture tree planting) can damage local biodiversity. A credible net zero strategy increasingly needs to account for nature-related impacts alongside carbon, and investors and regulators are beginning to expect both.
Where do I start if my business has never thought about biodiversity before?
Start with awareness and then move to action. The free Enveglas ESG Progress Checker at wyldeconnections.co.uk will give you a baseline picture of where your business stands across ESG themes including nature. From there, a free Discovery Call with our team will help you identify the most relevant and practical starting points — whether that is an operational step like introducing pollinator-friendly planting, a supply chain review, or a deeper engagement with frameworks like TNFD’s LEAP approach.