Mainstreaming nature in business decision-making
How can we accelerate corporate action on nature?
This is the question that guides the newly launched EU Horizon project A-Track. The 4-year project brings together leading thought leaders and practitioners who have been driving change in the measurement and valuation of natural capital and biodiversity in business, finance and government.
Our survival and prosperity are entirely depended on nature: from food and water to shelter and recreation, nature sustains thriving societies and economies. Business also rely on nature and its services, whether directly or through their value chains, companies have both dependencies on impacts nature – which means business are also increasingly exposed to the risks arising from the effects of mounting nature loss.
Leveraging opportunities that arise from the transition to nature positive
Corporations, financial institutions, and governments worldwide are increasingly aware of the nature-related risks and opportunities they are facing. They understand that addressing these issues is crucial for building resilience and enhancing value and are stepping up action.
However, despite increasing commitments to change, nature is still in crisis and there is an urgent need to further accelerate action for nature. Many organizations struggle to navigate the complexities of nature and the related risks and opportunities and are overwhelmed by all the tools and actions that should be taken.
The A-Track project will leverage existing tools and approaches and developed it further to make it easier for organizations to identify the most appropriate way forward for their sector and scale, to unlock the most relevant natural capital and biodiversity information for a range of applications and ultimately make more informed decisions that accelerate action for nature positive outcomes.
Help us understand what your challenges and needs are
A-Track is bringing together existing tools and approaches to empower organizations to make informed decisions that drive positive outcomes for nature.
However, to design tailored solutions we need to hear from our target audience. Accelerating corporate action on nature is a team effort, therefore this work focuses on sustainability professionals and all other functions where nature is also impacted by their decision-making, such as risk, finance, operations, procurement, R&D among others.
We have launched a survey that is an open invitation for dialogue with business representatives across different functions. Through this survey, we want to understand:
· What do you need to support you effectively?
· Where are your biggest challenges?
· What are your concerns?
Launched on May 6th, the survey provides clarity on what is missing and what is needed to accelerate action on nature. While many respondents have started their journeys on nature , they still face challenges when it comes to awareness or engagement of other departments outside the sustainability team.
“Lack of awareness on links between nature and our organization” and “lack of resources to undertake the assessments” remain among the biggest challenges companies face, with more than 40% of respondents facing these two issues.
Because A-Track aims to bring insights beyond the sustainability department, we have asked in the survey what are the most relevant functions to advance on nature within the company, and we can see two main directions: one in which board & C-suite are not involved yet, and they need to get on board to start the whole process. And another one in which board and C-suite are engaged, however, the “key” internal stakeholders, such as operations, risk, finance, are not engaged yet and lack the appropriate information & knowledge.
Please complete the A-Track survey and support us understand more of your company’s challenges and needs on nature and inform our prioritization of relevant functions where we need to advance on nature within the company.
Why Complete the A-Track Survey?
1. Shape the A-Track resources (from business for business): Participate in the survey to influence the development of robust and reliable resources. These resources will cater to the needs of key decision-makers across various functions.
2. Share your challenges: We want to hear from you! By sharing your insights, you’ll help us understand the specific challenges faced by individuals working to halt and reverse nature loss.
3. Early access to outputs: Be among the first to access project outputs, including training materials, guides, and case studies. These resources will benefit businesses across regions and industries.
About the Survey
The survey is structured into three parts:
1. About You and Your Organization a
2. Function-Specific Questions: Tailored to your role
3. Stay in Touch (or Remain Anonymous)
Completing the survey takes approximately 10 minutes. We encourage you to share it with your network, and with colleagues from different functions. If you have questions, reach out to the A-Track team at a-track.info/contact.
Complete the survey at: a-track.info/survey
Thank you in advance for your valuable inputs!
