The drive to net-zero ambitions cannot succeed without the preservation of biodiversity. Biodiversity loss undermines both mitigation and adaptation, threatening the ecosystems that keep the climate stable. Frameworks are increasingly recognising that net-zero must be nature-positive, restoring and preserving biodiversity alongside cutting emissions to deliver resilient climate outcomes.
How does biodiversity loss undermine climate goals?
Forests, wetlands, and oceans are critical natural carbon sinks, yet deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and species decline reduce their CO₂ sequestration potential and make net-zero harder to achieve. Biodiversity loss also disrupts essential ecosystem services (regulating water, soil, and temperatures), essentially undermining adaptation. Declining pollinators are a threat to food security, while damaged reefs leave coasts vulnerable and exposed, intensifying the risks and costs associated with climate change.
Global frameworks aligning agendas
International agreements are increasingly promoting integrated action. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and updated Paris Agreement NDCs all highlight nature-positive solutions, habitat conservation, sustainable land use, and enhancing ecosystem-based adaptation. This marks a shift away from standalone policies to mutually reinforcing climate–biodiversity strategies.
Why does net-zero demand nature-positive pathways?
Nature-positive pathways make restoration and biodiversity the focus of emission reduction. They involve restoration of native forests, regenerating peatlands, preserving marine habitats, and adopting agroecological production practices that both sequester carbon and support biodiversity. These pathways deliver “triple wins”, emissions reductions, resilience to climate change, and livelihood support, without any negative trade-offs like monocultures or biofuel crops. By incorporating biodiversity, net-zero efforts create productive, resilient landscapes instead of degraded environments.
How Strategy&Ops supports nature-positive net zero pathways
By connecting climate mitigation with biodiversity-positive actions, Strategy&Ops enables organisations to navigate the biodiversity–climate nexus and open up more sustainable routes to net-zero. Net-zero is no longer merely a question of carbon numbers; it requires cultivating the natural systems that sustain life on the planet.
Interested in developing nature-positive climate strategies that deliver resilient, equitable outcomes? Contact our multidisciplinary team at info@strategyandops.net.
#NaturePositive #NetZero #ClimateAndBiodiversity #SustainablePathways #EcosystemRestoration #IntegratedClimateAction
References
Climate Champions, 2024. Nature-positive for climate action: a compendium of case studies. Available at: https://www.climatechampions.net/media/zx2fxxus/nature-positive-for-climate-action-a-compendiium-of-case-studies.pdf
EY, 2024. How can the net zero transition create a nature-positive advantage. Available at: https://www.ey.com/en_nz/insights/sustainability/how-can-the-net-zero-transition-create-a-nature-positive-advantage
GEF, 2023. IP NetZero 2023. Available at: https://www.thegef.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/GEF_IP_NetZero_2023_05.pdf
Green Finance Institute & WWF-UK, 2024. Nature-positive transition pathways for the UK. Available at: https://hive.greenfinanceinstitute.com/gfihive/nature-positive-transition-pathways-for-the-uk/
ScienceDirect, 2025. Article: S0098135425002789. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0098135425002789
UNFCCC, 2024. WWF submission on roadmap from Baku to Belem. Available at: https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/WWF_Submission_on_Roadmap_from_Baku_to_Belem.pdf
World Economic Forum, 2024. Connecting nature, climate and the economy to create sustainability solutions that benefit everyone. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/09/connecting-nature-climate-and-the-economy-to-create-sustainability-solutions-that-benefit-everyone/
WWF-UK, 2024. Nature-positive pathways. Available at: https://www.wwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/2024-09/WWF-Aviva-Nature-Positive-Pathways.pdf