Nature is the foundation of the global economy. More than half of the world’s GDP is moderately or highly dependent on nature and its services. Despite this dependency, businesses in all sectors and geographies have negative impacts on nature, causing it to degrade faster than it can regenerate. Today, the resources humanity is using are equivalent to that of 1.75 Earths. Humans have exceeded seven out of eight globally quantified safe and just Earth system boundaries, risking crossing irreversible tipping points.
To enact nature-positive action at the scale and speed required, it is crucial for businesses to understand their specific interactions with nature within their sectors.
To help inform these sectoral approaches, Oliver Wyman has partnered with the World Economic Forum to release a report series. These reports detail material impacts and dependencies on nature and outline priority actions within sectors to avoid and reduce the negative impacts, mitigate nature-related risks, and unlock opportunities across value chains.
This initiative is a collaboration with Business For Nature and the World Business Council For Sustainable Development, providing sector-specific guidance for 12 global industries.
Nature Positive: Chemical sector
Global chemicals sales amount to approximately $4 trillion a year, providing essential materials for 95% of all manufactured goods worldwide. This report outlines five priority actions for the chemical sector to reduce its impact on nature. These actions focus on reducing water use, pollution, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and land-use change. By implementing these actions, the sector can unlock $320 billion in annual business opportunities by 2030 in the emerging nature-positive economy.
Nature Positive: Household and personal care products sector
Household and personal care products are central to our daily lives and generate approximately $700 billion in annual revenues, but this comes at a cost to nature. This report presents five priority actions for the household and personal care products sector to reduce its impact on nature. These actions focus on reducing water use, pollution, GHG emissions, and land-use change. By adopting these actions the sector can unlock the $60 billion in annual business opportunities by 2030 in the new nature-positive economy.
Nature Positive: Role of the cement and concrete sector
After water, concrete is the second most consumed material in the world. With no scalable substitutes currently available, it is a critical construction material for society – with cement being a key input in its production. This report reveals five priority actions for the cement and concrete sector to reduce its impact on nature through water use, land use and ecosystem disturbance, as well as GHG emissions and air pollution. By implementing these actions the sector can unlock the $40 billion in annual business opportunities by 2030 in the burgeoning nature-positive economy.
Additional contributors: Katie Mawdsley