Group of leading businesses join forces to form Nature Positive Matters to measure dependence on nature

More than 20 Australian businesses have co-founded Nature Positive Matters, aiming to measure their impact and dependence on nature as well as provide guidance to other stakeholders.

Environment and Wateri MInister Tanya Plibersek with some of the founding members of Nature Positive Matters.

Some of Australia’s leading businesses, including Wesfarmers, Qantas and Blackmores, have joined forces to recognise the growing international importance and economic value of looking after nature.

More than 20 companies have co-founded Nature Positive Matters, which was launched on Monday night ahead of the world’s first Global Nature Positive Summit that kicks off in Sydney on Tuesday, hosted by the NSW and federal governments.

The $5m event brings together leaders from government, business, academia, environment groups and Indigenous communities who will seek ways to drive investment in nature and improve its protection and repair.

The grouping of Nature Positive Matters aims to support the business uptake of nature-related reporting and data collection to measure their impacts and dependence on nature

The group will also inform policies and investment decisions that are good for nature; develop tools to help investors understand whether an economic activity is environmentally sustainable; and help other businesses to take action to protect and repair nature.

Blackmores Group chief executive Alastair Symington said the ingredients used by his health supplements company were reliant on a healthy planet.

Blackmores CEO Alastair Symington.

“At the same time, we recognise that nature-based solutions are key to reaching our ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2030 and therefore remain committed to integrating nature-positive practices into everything we do,” he said.

“Any opportunity to collaborate across industries, and through the supply chain, is critical as we all transition to a decarbonised economy.”

The Nature Positive Matters’ founding members include Wesfarmers, Qantas, Blackmores, Australian Agricultural Company, Brambles, Bega Group, The GPT Group, Bank Australia, Lion Group, Rest Super and New Forests.

They will report on their nature risks and impacts using Taskforce on Nature-related Financial

Disclosures international standards.

The initiative comes two years after almost 200 countries signed up to the landmark Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework, which had a goal of halting and reversing biodiversity loss and environmental damage.

New Forests is a global investment manager of nature-based real assets and natural capital strategies, its chief executive Mark Rogers said they were proud to join some of Australia’s leading businesses as they collectively worked to measure their impacts and dependence on nature and provide guidance.

“We all need to start somewhere, and the Australian government’s launch of Nature Positive Matters is a positive first step,” he said.

“The rising emphasis on nature positive is not just about compliance and reporting for investors, it will become a market differentiator and a significant investment opportunity.”

Tanya Plibersek addresses the Nature Positive Matters launch.

To help businesses do their nature reporting, Australia is currently working on a natural capital accounts framework with the United States and Canada, which will reveal the value of the natural assets the economy relies on – such as forests, soils, grasslands and mangroves.

Being part of Nature Positive Matters will provide businesses with the confidence to take

action on nature and efforts to reverse biodiversity loss.

Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek said businesses that have signed on to Nature Positive Matters would inspire others to do the same.

“Nature Positive Matters will help business understand and measure their impacts and their

dependence on nature. As we know, you can’t manage it if you don’t measure it,” she said.

“The Albanese Labor government is helping business become more sustainable. Australia’s

environmental credentials are good for consumers and good for trade.”

Originally published as Group of leading businesses join forces to form Nature Positive Matters to measure dependence on nature