Financial systems continue to channel money into activities that harm nature, while investment in biodiversity protection remains insufficient. To change this, we need practical ways to measure progress that can guide policies, investments and regulations toward supporting nature instead of harming it. For cities and local leaders, using these metrics in their planning and decision-making is key to turning ambition into real action. This is where Nature-Positive Economies come in.
Nature-Positive Economies need clear guiding principles and measurable indicators that link ecological recovery with economic transformation. Five key pillars can guide and assess progress:
- Full recovery of nature
- Prosperity for all
- Respecting ecological limits
- Transforming economic systems
- Ensuring a social foundation
Acting in line with these five principles when pursuing a Nature-Positive Economy ensures a healthy equilibrium between responsible growth, equal opportunity and nature-sensitive transformation.
These principles can be translated into operational indicators and governance tools. Key industry needs to ensure a Nature-Positive Economy include:
- The development of robust nature-based risk models
- Clearer governance frameworks
- Context-specific indicators for finance and insurance systems
Recognising nature loss as a systemic economic risk and aligning with regulatory tools such as Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the EU Taxonomy are essential. At the same time, a minimum core set of indicators is needed to prevent greenwashing, alongside practical, place-based guidance and collective governance models that support coordinated action.
As highlighted by the recently released IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment, global finance continues to pour trillions into practices that threaten nature, while spending on biodiversity protection lags behind. Reversing this trend requires more than voluntary commitments, it demands measurable frameworks, regulatory alignment and accountability mechanisms that can clearly distinguish between nature-negative and nature-positive economic activities.
Building a Nature-Positive Economy will depend on embedding science-based principles into financial regulation, redirecting public incentives toward nature-positive activities and moving beyond GDP toward broader indicators of wellbeing and resilience. Nature must no longer be treated as a standalone policy area, but as foundational infrastructure for economic stability and long-term prosperity.
Advancing this transformation requires coordinated action across sectors, from governments and financial institutions to businesses, researchers and communities, working together to ensure that economic systems contribute to the recovery of nature rather than its degradation. Join the GoNaturePositive! Community to be a part of the movement for a nature-positive future and help drive meaningful change for people and nature.
These reflections build on discussions held during ICLEI Europe’s 49th Breakfast at Sustainability in Brussels, which brought together experts from finance, business, research and governance to examine how to operationalise a Nature-Positive Economy in practice. Co-Organised by the EU funded initiatives GoNaturePositive!, Land4Climate, NATURANCE, Network Nature, BIOFIN.
