More than 150 governments have agreed a landmark global assessment on biodiversity and business at the 12th Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, hosted by the UK in Manchester.
The week long summit, known as IPBES12, concluded with the adoption of a major report examining the links between nature, economic activity and financial stability, with Britain widely seen as leading the international push to embed biodiversity at the heart of economic decision making.
The new business and biodiversity assessment represents a significant step forward in understanding how companies both depend on and affect the natural world, and how the continued loss of biodiversity creates mounting risks for economies and financial systems worldwide.
The meeting was hosted in partnership with UK Research and Innovation, whose scientists played a central role in building the evidence base underpinning the agreement.
A foundation for economic prosperity
Delegates heard that the environment underpins modern economies, with more than half of global GDP estimated to be moderately or highly dependent on nature.
Ecosystem services such as pollination, water cycling and climate stability support major sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, construction, insurance and finance. Changes to biodiversity and the condition of ecosystems can disrupt supply chains, affect asset values and weaken long term economic resilience.
British researchers argued that recognising these dependencies is essential to safeguarding prosperity, positioning the UK at the forefront of efforts to align economic growth with environmental protection.
A new framework for business success
The IPBES assessment draws together the latest scientific evidence to guide governments, investors and businesses in managing nature related risks and opportunities. It outlines methods and metrics for evaluating exposure to biodiversity loss and identifies gaps where further research and data are required.
UK funded science has directly shaped the framework. One key contribution is the biodiversity intactness index, which models how species respond to human pressures and land use change.
Developed by the Natural History Museum, Imperial College London and partners with investment from UK Research and Innovation, the index has been combined with data from 45,000 companies worldwide by Bloomberg to help investors assess their exposure to nature related risks.
The economic case for placing nature at the centre of financial systems was set out in the The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review, commissioned by the UK. The review cited 46 studies funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, the second highest total for any funding body globally.
Since its publication, the review has been referenced in more than 300 policy documents across 24 countries and has influenced UK legislation, including the Environment Act 2021 and statutory requirements for biodiversity net gain in development.
Tools for green decision making
UK backed research has also produced practical tools to support businesses and policymakers.
These include Nature Value at Risk, a scenario modelling tool developed by the University of Oxford to assess financial exposure to ecosystem degradation, the Resilient Planet Data Hub providing climate risk and geo hazard data, and GeoAsset, which offers transparent environmental information for due diligence assessments.
The Peatland Code, the UK’s first regulated carbon credit scheme for peatland restoration, gives companies a scientifically verified route to invest in nature based solutions while working towards net zero commitments. It was developed with central contributions from UK Research and Innovation funded scientists at Newcastle University.
Monitoring nature at scale
British innovation is also shaping how biodiversity is monitored globally. The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology has developed the Automated Monitoring of Insects system, using image recognition and machine learning to track pollinator populations. The technology is now deployed in more than 30 countries.
Professor Louise Heathwaite, Executive Chair of the Natural Environment Research Council, described IPBES12 as groundbreaking in its assessment of the interdependencies governing business and biodiversity to ensure nature is protected while economies grow.
She said hosting the summit in Manchester demonstrated how scientific evidence can be translated into global action, adding that UK Research and Innovation would continue to support research that strengthens the evidence base and informs policy on biodiversity and nature related risks.
The opportunity ahead
The agreement reached at IPBES12 marks a milestone in aligning environmental science with economic strategy. The central message, strongly backed by the UK delegation, is that long term economic growth depends on a thriving natural environment.
Businesses that integrate environmental considerations into their strategies are likely to be more resilient, more attractive to investors and better positioned for sustained success.
With Manchester hosting the deal and British science shaping its foundations, the UK has signalled its intention to remain at the forefront of efforts to bring biodiversity and business together and to mitigate the risks posed by nature loss to economies at home and abroad.
