UK businesses can save millions of pounds and unlock new growth opportunities by putting nature at the heart of boardroom decisions – with new resources launched today.
Defra, together with business partners have released three resources for Boards to inform and support board-level action.
The resources include a short film featuring His Majesty and Sir David Attenborough, alongside a Boardroom Briefing on Nature tailored for Chairs and Non-Executive Directors outlining the scale of the opportunity, and a suite of cross-economy business case studies demonstrating where nature action has delivered material and financial benefits for business performance.
The materials highlight a clear and growing economic opportunity, with UK’s natural capital asset value estimated at around £1.6 trillion, alongside annual flow of ecosystem services estimated at £41 billion. It also reports that around 900 UK businesses in nature-related sectors raised £2.8 billion in 2025, supporting 21,000 jobs.
The film and case studies showcase real-world examples of businesses already benefiting from this approach. Severn Trent Water has restored degraded peatlands and woodlands in the Peak District, avoiding £18 million in sediment removal costs, saving up to £743,000 annually in chemical treatment, and postponing a major infrastructure upgrade from 2033 to at least 2047. At Canary Wharf, transforming an unused dock into a nature-rich public space – achieving a 55% biodiversity net gain – helped deliver the group’s strongest leasing performance in over a decade, with 450,000 square feet of office space signed since the project launched.
His Majesty The King joined a meeting with Defra ministers, No10 advisor, senior business leaders and representatives from the Council for Sustainable Business last week to hear more about efforts to prioritise Nature in boardrooms and investment decisions.
Nature Minister Mary Creagh said
More than half of global GDP depends on natural resources and ecosystem services so it is vital for businesses to move to nature-positive growth. An investment in nature protects the bottom line, ensures resilient supply chains and is what customers and investors now expect.
These new resources provide the evidence and practical guidance corporate leaders need to make nature a strategic priority!
Liv Garfield, Chair of Council for Sustainable Business said
It’s evident that in a world of accelerating climate change, nature will become an increasingly important strategic consideration for Boards as they plan to reduce costs and risk, and unlock growth opportunities. These tools are designed to support Boards make this transition.
Paula Rosput Reynolds, Chair, National Grid, said
As UK businesses, our commitment to growth can open up new opportunities to improve the natural environment.
The products were developed by Defra in partnership with the Council for Sustainable Business, the Green Finance Institute, the Aldersgate Group and the Institute for Sustainability and Environmental Professionals.
