Sectoral Nature-Positive Transition Pathways – A policy solution to guide the transition to a nature-positive economy

A coalition of environmental NGOs – including WWF, Business for Nature, Finance for Biodiversity, the Green Finance Institute, and The Nature Conservancy – have jointly published a discussion paper calling on governments to develop Sectoral Nature-Positive Pathways.

Nature degradation is jeopardising future economic growth and resilience globally. Nature-related risks, such as water scarcity, pollution, flooding, soil degradation, and resource scarcity, are already disrupting key sectors such as housing, energy, agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism. These risks are increasing operational costs, threatening asset viability, and undermining regional economic stability.

To address this crisis, nearly 200 governments have signed the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. National governments are developing National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) that set out how they will deliver on these commitments and implementing national targets.

Meeting these targets presents a significant opportunity to enhance economic resilience, productivity, and competitiveness. However, doing so will require coordinated action across all sectors of the economy. While some businesses are beginning to invest in nature-related solutions to strengthen resilience and reduce their impacts, what a nature-positive transition looks like in practice remains unclear for many. Clearer guidance and stronger coordination are needed to give businesses the confidence to invest at scale.

Earlier today, a coalition of environmental NGOs – including WWF, Business for Nature, Finance for Biodiversity, the Green Finance Institute, and The Nature Conservancy – jointly published a discussion paper addressing this challenge. The paper introduces the concept of Sectoral Nature-Positive Transition Pathways (NPPs) and calls on governments to co-develop them with businesses, academia, and civil society to guide key sectors through the transition.

An NPP is a sectoral plan that provides guidance to businesses and governments on how to align a specific economic sector (such as agriculture, energy, finance, construction, or technology) with an NBSAP or other national environmental targets.

The discussion paper explains how NPPs can help governments meet environmental targets and build a resilient and sustainable economy. Specifically, it outlines how NPPs can help governments:

• Align private sector investment with environmental targets, mobilising finance for nature and helping to close the nature finance gap.
• Integrate biodiversity in decision-making across the economy, in accordance with GBF target 14.
• Develop a comprehensive enabling framework, spanning policy, regulation, and incentives, that addresses physical risks while capturing nature-related opportunities.

In December 2025, the UK government committed to supporting the development of Nature-Positive Transition Pathways in its Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, the national strategy for achieving environmental targets in England. The strategy positions NPPs as a key mechanism to mobilise private investment to restore and protect nature.

The NGO coalition is now exploring whether other governments are interested in developing NPPs for priority sectors of their economies. At the same time, we recognise that many countries have already made important progress in mainstreaming biodiversity through other policy approaches. Over the coming months, our aim is to adapt the NPP concept to different geographical contexts and policy frameworks.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you – We are inviting policy experts and representatives of governments, businesses, civil society organisations, and multilateral organisations to review the discussion paper to:

• Help identify relevant examples of initiatives to develop sector-specific guidance for environmental targets taking place globally
• Assess the concept of NPPs as a potential solution to support alignment with environmental targets, mobilise financial flows, and help build a resilient economy