Nature and biodiversity hold tremendous value and meaning for business, society, and personal well-being. Despite their importance, the state of nature and biodiversity around the world is in crisis and threatens to undermine economies, livelihoods, and health around the globe.
GlobeScan’s Navigating the Nature Agenda shared research program was developed to understand the attitudes and expectations of stakeholders and consumers around the world for the role of business and other sectors in protecting and restoring nature and biodiversity. The learnings and insights are meant to help companies and other organizations with developing and managing nature-based strategies, programs, and engagement.
Headline Insights from the Global Survey of 400+ Expert Stakeholders
- Nearly nine in ten experts (88%) view the current state of nature in the world as ”alarming“ or “catastrophic”; only 1 percent view the state of nature as “satisfactory.”
- Over eight in ten experts (83%) strongly agree that “biodiversity loss needs to be addressed with the same urgency and resources as climate change.”
- Over eight in ten experts (84%) strongly agree that “companies need to take much more integrated approaches to effectively address nature, climate, and social issues.”
- Seven in ten experts (69%) strongly agree that “protecting and restoring nature is essential for a Just Transition for all.”
- Nearly two-thirds of experts (64%) strongly agree that “nature-based solutions need to be a key part of companies’ approaches to sustainability.”
Headline Insights from the Public Opinion Survey of 11,000 People Across 11 Countries
- Eight in ten people (78%) believe that “children need to spend time in nature.”
- Three-quarters of people (76%) feel that “being in nature makes me feel better.”
- Over six in ten people (65%) “worry a lot that we will not have enough nature and wildlife for future generations.”
- Two-thirds of consumers (67%) would like to do more than they currently do to protect nature and wildilfe.”
- Only 20 percent of people agree that “economic development is more important than protecting nature and wildlife.”
The research design included: interviews with over 50 leaders from 25 member companies; interviews with leaders and subject matter experts from 15 civil society organizations, including eight interviewees self-identifying as members of Indigenous peoples and local communities; global consultation of 400+ expert stakeholders across sectors and 90 countries; and research with 11,000 consumers across 11 countries (Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, UK, and USA).
Key Learnings and Opportunities
We identified five key lessons that are vital for companies, governments, and other key actors behind the nature agenda to fulfill their roles in protecting and restoring nature and biodiversity.
- Collaborative, multistakeholder initiatives are vital for protecting and restoring nature and biodiversity – companies have an opportunity to build collaboration into their nature strategies from the outset.
- Progress on nature requires an integrated approach with both climate strategies and societal initiatives – people are central to nature-based solutions.
- There is a need for more inclusive approaches to protecting nature, including prioritizing and partnering with Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs).
- People want help from business and governments with doing more to protect nature and biodiversity. Business has a compelling opportunity to help people lead more “nature-friendly lifestyles.”
- There is a growing expectation for companies to embed nature into their business, financial, and policy decisions – from investors to consumers to governments, stakeholders will increasingly call on companies to do more to protect nature and biodiversity.
We are grateful to the following companies that participated in and supported the Navigating the Nature Agenda program:
AB InBev, Anglo American, Colgate, Danone, De Beers, Expedia, GSK, Henkel, Hershey, IKEA, Levi Strauss, Merck, Netflix, Newmont, Nomad Foods, Nutrien, P&G, Parfums Christian Dior, PepsiCo, Petronas, RBC, Reckitt, Standard Chartered, Stora Enso, Suzano, U.S. Dairy
Webinars
To help launch our Navigating the Nature Agenda research program, we recently hosted two webinars with a collection of insightful guest speakers.
For our webinar on consumer insights and engagement opportunities, the speakers included:
- Erin Parham, Head of Biodiversity and Environmental Partnerships, De Beers Group
- Vance Merolla, Worldwide Director, Global Sustainability, Colgate Palmolive Company
- Andre Fourie, Global VP, Sustainability, AB InBev
- Gayle Chong, Associate Director, GlobeScan
- Jason Walters, Director, GlobeScan
Watch the recording:
For our webinar on stakeholders’ expectations and opportunities for companies to protect and restore nature and biodiversity, the speakers included:
- Leticia Kawanami, Global Sustainability Manager, Suzano
- Toby Croucher, SVP Climate and Nature, Stora Enso
- Chris Coulter, CEO, GlobeScan
- Jason Walters, Director, GlobeScan
Watch the recording:
