Nature-Positive Economy – a Challenge and an Opportunity

The world’s economic systems do not adequately acknowledge the valuable role nature plays in planetary and human health. The degradation of land, freshwater and marine ecosystems undermines the well-being of billions of people and costs about 10% of the annual global gross product. At the same time, the restoration of nature presents enormous economic opportunities. The idea of a Nature-Positive Economy (NPE) – i.e., an economy that considers environmental impacts and sustainability while actively working to improve the state of nature – as well as the pathways towards implementing an NPE remain poorly understood.

Objectives

The project's ambition is to contribute to the systemic transformation needed for a nature-positive economy through collaborative multi-stakeholder research and innovation to provide clarity and guidance for policy, industry and society. To achieve its goal, GoNaturePositive! will

• adopt a multi-stakeholder approach for systemic change, with Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Nature-based Enterprises (NbEs) at its core. GoNaturePositive! will deliver a clear definition and conceptual framework for a Nature-Positive Economy (NPE). Research will take into account valuable existing knowledge from business and broaden it to include the perspectives of other stakeholder groups.
• develop clear roadmaps to identify policy and governance pathways towards an NPE. Blueprints for solutions to systemic roadblocks aimed at reducing business risk and attracting increasingly nature-sensitive investors will be researched and tested.
• demonstrate how nature-positive practices can generate multiple benefits for people and planet on the ground.
• harnesses the commitment of an Impact Board of multiplier networks towards achieving a long-term shared vision of a Nature-Positive Economy.

Ecologic Institute in GoNaturePositive!

The project is coordinated by Trinity College Dublin and involves 20 partners across 14 countries, represented by research institutions, non-profits and environmental organizations who are leading the nature-positive agenda at global and European levels. Ecologic Institute is involved in several of the scientific WP's and especially in WP 1 "Evidence Supporting Systemic Change" in which it will lead a task to map the systemic policy and governance issues needed to bring us towards an NPE, WP2 "Pathways to Transformation", and WP3 "Driving Structural Change".