Business for Nature, Finance for Biodiversity, the Green Finance Institute, The Nature Conservancy and WWF have launched a new discussion paper which outlines the case for sectoral nature-positive pathways to governments. Titled, “Sectoral Nature-positive Transition Pathways: A government-led process for a sustainable and resilient economy”, the paper outlines why governments should adopt Sectoral Nature Positive Transition Pathways (NPPs) to guide high-impact sectors toward a nature-positive future.

Read the discussion paper

The launch is timely, with the United Kingdom recently becoming the first country to officially commit to developing pathways for key economic sectors. Its first pilot pathway, focused on the agri-food sector, is expected by mid-2026. Meanwhile, in Ecuador, CEMDES (the Entrepreneurial Council for Sustainable Development) is partnering with Business for Nature to develop a pilot pathway for the country’s sugarcane sector, demonstrating early, real-world application of this model.

With Biodiversity COP17 approaching in Armenia this October, governments will assess progress on the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at its midpoint. Accelerating national implementation and delivering tangible results will require coordinated action across all sectors of the economy.

While some companies have begun assessing and tackling their nature-related impacts, the path to nature-positive remains unclear for most. Sectoral nature-positive pathways can help close this gap by offering a straightforward roadmap that clarifies expectations, highlights practical actions businesses can take, and lays out the policy and market conditions needed for progress.

What are Sectoral Nature-Positive Pathways?

Sectoral nature-positive pathways outline how a country’s priority economic sectors can align with national biodiversity commitments, such as the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). In essence, they translate high-level commitments into concrete, sector-specific actions.

Effective pathways are:

Developed through a collaborative, multistakeholder process with strong government buy-in: Governments should be engaged from the start or, at a minimum, endorse these pathways. While voluntary roadmaps are a valuable starting point, an enabling policy and regulatory environment is essential to drive real, lasting change.
Aligned with national biodiversity targets: Nature-positive pathways should directly support updated NBSAPs or targets submitted under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Integrated with national policy: For pathways to drive real action, they must address the policies, laws and subsidies that shape sector behavior, laying the foundation for large-scale transformation.

This work builds directly on Business for Nature’s policy recommendation that governments adopt national sectoral transition pathways through multi-stakeholder collaboration and across ministries, ensuring that all sectors, especially high-impact ones, are aligned with a nature-positive, net-zero economy.

The benefits of sectoral pathways for business

Many countries have yet to clearly define the role of business in delivering national biodiversity goals, or spell out the sector-specific actions needed to meet them. As a result, businesses often lack the clarity they need to plan, invest and report with confidence.

Pathways are designed to close this gap: mapping sector-specific targets, assessing impacts and dependencies and identifying practical levers (such as policy reforms, incentives, finance and technology) to make action credible, cost-effective, and investable.

Every sector’s transition will be unique. But with the right direction and support, nature-positive pathways can serve as a powerful tool for businesses seeking to deliver credible, concrete and effective nature-positive strategies.

A starting point for dialogue

This discussion paper aims to spark a global conversation among governments, companies and business associations on how nature-positive pathways can be tailored to fit national priorities and realities. As part of our 2030 Strategy, Business for Nature is working to help governments turn the Global Biodiversity Framework’s global ambition into clear, practical guidance and tools, such as nature-positive pathways, business action plans or ambitious policies.

To advance this dialogue, Business for Nature and partners hosted a webinar on 24 February 2026, presenting the discussion paper and sharing emerging insights from early examples. The session aims to grow the conversation about how pathways can help turn national biodiversity commitments into coordinated, sector-wide action. You can join the conversation and share your feedback on the discussion paper by filling out this form.

Sectoral pathways: mapping the route to a nature-positive economy