Boardroom action on nature – a suite of resources launched

Aldersgate Group Executive Director Rachel Solomon Williams attended a roundtable last week, joined by His Majesty The King, industry, and government, to discuss how nature-positive action can support business and the UK economy.

The discussion came ahead of a suite of resources, developed by Defra in partnership with the Council for Sustainable Business, the Aldersgate Group, the Green Finance Institute, and the Institute for Sustainability and Environmental Professionals, which were released today.

These resources aim to help businesses unlock new growth opportunities and reduce future risks and costs by putting nature at the heart of boardroom decision-making.

The resources include:

• Business Case for Nature film 
  Short films produced with the BBC Natural History Unit, featuring His Majesty The King, Sir David Attenborough and industry leaders, highlighting how nature presents a commercial opportunity for business.
• Good for Nature & Good for Business case studies 
  20 cross-sector examples of UK businesses that have made investments generating positive outcomes for nature alongside measurable commercial benefits.
• Boardroom Briefing on Nature
  A concise, decision-focused guide for Chairs and NEDs, framing nature through the lenses of resilience, cost savings and revenue growth.

Explore the resources by clicking here.

The materials highlight a clear and growing economic opportunity, with UK’s natural capital asset value estimated at around £1.6 trillion, alongside annual flow of ecosystem services estimated at £41 billion. It also reports that around 900 UK businesses in nature-related sectors raised £2.8 billion in 2025, supporting 21,000 jobs.

His Majesty The King joined a meeting with the Environment Secretary, the Prime Minister’s Chief Advisor on Business, Investment and Trade, senior business leaders and representatives from the Council for Sustainable Business last week to discuss efforts to put nature at the heart of boardroom and investment decisions and identify further policy interventions needed to accelerate progress.

Aldersgate Group Nature Policy Lead, Adam Young, said: “Nature loss creates real systemic risks for businesses and the economy, from disrupted supply chains to slower growth, while restoring nature can unlock major opportunities in sustainable markets. These resources make clear that the business case for nature is not a soft argument; it is about strengthening our resilience, reducing costs and supporting long-term growth.

“This work, supported by the Aldersgate Group and driven by a powerful coalition across government, industry and leading nature advocates, including His Majesty The King, should provide organisations with the guidance they need to put nature firmly on the boardroom agenda.”

Nature Minister Mary Creagh, said: “More than half of global GDP depends on natural resources and ecosystem services so it is vital for businesses to move to nature-positive growth. An investment in nature protects the bottom line, ensures resilient supply chains and is what customers and investors now expect. These new resources provide the evidence and practical guidance corporate leaders need to make nature a strategic priority”.

Liv Garfield, Chair of Council for Sustainable Business, said: “It’s evident that in a world of accelerating climate change, nature will become an increasingly important strategic consideration for Boards as they plan to reduce costs and risk, and unlock growth opportunities. These tools are designed to support Boards make this transition”.

The Board Room Briefing for Nature will be followed by a practical guide for businesses – developed Aldersgate Group and ISEP on behalf of Defra – set to be launched next week.