MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Businesspeople Must Reconnect With Nature to Save the Planet

The business community is doubling down on its commitment to protect the natural environment. Over a fifth of the world’s 2,000 largest companies have now committed to net-zero targets. Some have even gone a step further: Bayer, Gucci, Nestlé, and Starbucks, among others, recently committed to becoming “nature positive.” Strongly encouraged by the World Economic Forum and the United Nations, nature positivity involves resetting humanity’s relationship with nature by radically improving on issues such as biodiversity, land degradation, and climate change. Being nature positive goes far beyond merely protecting ecosystems or even achieving net-zero targets; the ultimate goal is to create “more nature” by 2030 compared with 2020.

Despite these laudable plans, limited progress is being made to protect the natural environment. Damage to flora and fauna is not slowing down — it’s rapidly increasing. Some argue that business — especially large, profit-seeking companies driven by short-term financial results — are, by design, not equipped to tackle grand challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. These issues require systemic solutions, long-term thinking, and an overall shift away from our economy’s reliance on fossil fuels.

About the Author

George Ferns(@thisgeorgeferns) is an assistant professor in organization studies and sustainability at Cardiff Business School.

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