Collaboration is essential to build nature-positive economies and Chile leads the way
This piece by Alejandra Arochas and Constanza Torres was originally published by the World Economic Forum
Halting and reversing nature loss by 2030 – the mission at the heart of the Global Biodiversity Framework – requires governments to work with the private sector to achieve new or revised national biodiversity plans.
With a focus on open collaboration, robust governance, and a clear articulation of the benefits to companies that act on nature, Chile is setting new standards of public-private collaboration.
Halfway through a decisive decade of action on nature, Chile’s approach offers a blueprint for other countries seeking to work effectively with companies to transition to nature-positive economies.
On 25 March 2025, Chile published its Business Action Plan on Biodiversity, the culmination of eight months of collaboration between the government and a group of Chilean companies.
The first of its kind in Latin America, the Plan formalizes the role of the private sector in the nation’s efforts to achieve new biodiversity targets, and it guides Chilean businesses on incorporating biodiversity considerations into their strategies and operations to reduce their negative impacts on nature.
Crucially, beyond its significance in Chile, the Plan can also offer a blueprint for effective collaboration between other national governments and companies on nature.
From global ambition to national implementation
Public-private collaboration is central to the successful implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework, a landmark agreement adopted by 196 countries at the UN Convention on Biodiversity at COP15. The Global Biodiversity Framework is the first UN Convention on Biodiversity agreement to explicitly set out the role of the private sector in addressing the global biodiversity crisis.
The adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework in December 2022 was hailed as a historic achievement, nature's 'Paris moment.' But, the implementation of the Framework's goals and targets at the national level, including the government's ability to mobilize the private sector, will determine whether its overarching goal - to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030 - can be achieved.
Progress so far has been slow: only 48 countries have produced revised National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans since COP15, with only some clearly setting out the role of business. This underlines the urgent need for national governments to work closely with companies and financial institutions to define ambitious national strategies.
With Latin America hosting the last biodiversity COP (COP16 in Cali, Colombia) and the next climate COP (COP30 in Belém, Brazil), the continent has an opportunity to set standards for national and regional-level nature action. With its new national targets and innovative business engagement strategy, Chile is showing the way.
Led jointly by the Ministry of the Environment and Acción Empresas, the country's largest corporate sustainability network and part of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development's global network, Chile's approach to mobilizing the private sector brings together representatives from six ministries (Environment, Agriculture, Economy, Urban Development, Finance and Energy) and companies representing key sectors of the national economy.
What lessons can be learnt from Chile’s approach?
1. Ensure early engagement with businesses to build trust and ownership
In the early stages of updating Chile’s Business Action Plan on Biodiversity, a dedicated Business Advisory Group of 14 leading companies was created to support the Government of Chile in effectively including the private sector in its national biodiversity targets. Working closely with Acción Empresas and with guidance from Business for Nature - a global coalition of over 100 organizations that supports business leaders and policymakers to take meaningful action on nature - the Ministry of Environment established the Group as a central coordination mechanism between the public and private sectors.
To ensure that a wide range of companies understood the role they could play in shaping the country’s biodiversity agenda, Acción Empresas hosted a series of roundtables and workshops covering Chile’s five regions and rolled out a comprehensive communications strategy. Crucially, the six ministries involved took time to work with businesses to define a shared mission before moving to implementation. This created a constructive environment and fostered a strong sense of trust and commitment.
2. Articulate a clear business value proposition to secure buy-in
Rather than presenting biodiversity as a separate environmental concern, the Chilean government made sure to position it as a key component of corporate sustainability and long-term business resilience. By articulating a clear value proposition for businesses - highlighting the benefits of nature action, such as mitigating operational risks, preparing for disclosure and building stakeholder trust - the government also explicitly linked companies’ efforts to achieving the global targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
This approach helped businesses recognize the strategic value, at micro and macro levels, of integrating biodiversity into their operations and of taking concerted action as part of the Business Advisory Group.
3. Establish robust governance to drive action and accountability
By establishing clear roles and responsibilities between the Business Advisory Group and the Government from the start, Chile has made governance and accountability two key pillars of its approach.
The creation of a public-private working group that met in person five times during the eight months was key to identifying the gaps and the priority sectors that the Business Action Plan needed to address. It also encouraged transparent communication, with the government openly addressing business concerns and showcasing best practices to encourage participation.
Importantly, the public-private working group, which includes NGOs, academia and other relevant stakeholders, is set up as a long-term coordination mechanism, ensuring the Plan and its impacts are reviewed up to and beyond 2030 and adjusted to respond to evolving priorities.
The journey toward nature positive
There are signs that momentum around corporate action on nature is steadily building in Chile. Before the publication of the Business Action Plan on Biodiversity, three members of the Business Advisory Group - Arauco, Colbun SA and Empresas CMPC - had their nature strategies published through the global It’s Now for Nature campaign. These companies are helping set new levels of ambition and accountability for other Chilean companies to follow.
And, with the Business Action Plan now in the pilot phase, efforts are focused on encouraging companies to adopt it and mainstream nature action in all sectors of the Chilean economy. To do so, Acción Empresas is doubling down on its awareness-raising activities – using articles, podcasts, radio programmes and social media to build nationwide momentum.
"Mainstreaming biodiversity across sectors has not been without its challenges," says Maisa Rojas Corrad, Chile's Minister of Environment. "However, we are clearly seeing a growing interest from Chile's companies to be part of the solution, working alongside the public sector to transition towards sustainable business models that enhance the state of nature through innovative approaches."
2025 must mark a clear acceleration in national and global efforts to halt and reverse nature loss. At this crucial point, Chile’s efforts provide timely inspiration and direction for other governments seeking to drive their collaboration with businesses and set a path towards building nature-positive economies by 2030.