Now is the time for business leaders to reflect and discuss the interrelated emergencies of nature, climate, health and inequality
Eva Zabey, Executive Director, Business for Nature
#WorldEnvironmentDay feels very different this year. For weeks many people around the world have stayed at home – me and my family included. Now some of us are starting to emerge and get a semblance of normality back in our lives. But there are still many questions about whether the world that we’ve emerged into has changed, and if that will be for the better.
This year’s World Environment Day theme, ‘Time for Nature’, provides a timely reminder that everything that makes our planet habitable comes from nature. In these extraordinary times – where we’re facing crises right now on so many levels – from a global pandemic to a fundamental shift in the fabric of US society, to an ongoing climate and nature emergency - I keep coming back to the things that keep me grounded – my values. But also a profound sense of needing to do the right thing. In my role heading up Business for Nature it’s about pushing forward for change so that we can live in a world that instead of being focused on efficiency, is built on resilience.
We’re trying to build a conversation about the vital role nature plays in all our lives. Nature is at a tipping point. Healthy societies, resilient economies and thriving businesses rely on nature. Yet, more than half of the world’s total GDP is at moderate or severe risk from nature loss (World Economic Forum, 2020).
This World Environment Day, we can either choose to do nothing and guarantee that critical resources continue to become scarce, putting businesses, economies and communities at further risk from massive disruptions. Or we can act now and do more to protect and preserve nature, giving all aspects of society the chance to become more resilient and to thrive within, not beyond, nature’s limits.
We need collective action and leadership to achieve this, and businesses have a big role to play. This is why on 15 June, Business for Nature will co-host the first major global leadership event this year on nature, and its vital role in building a resilient future in a post-coronavirus world.
We’re delighted that this virtual event will be hosted by Paul Polman, CEO of Imagine and Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce and Tian Wei, a World Economic Forum Young Leader and news anchor.
Alongside our partners – the World Economic Forum, WBCSD, ICC, UN Global Compact and the IUCN - this event brings together inspiring business and world leaders for an interactive discussion on why making nature part of decision-making is critical to becoming a future-fit business.
To be part of this critical conversation, join us on 15 June.
Register now: https://bit.ly/15JuneNature
#NatureIsEveryonesBusiness