“The three most effective things any one of us can do towards fixing this, the mother of all issues, and moving our civilisation into a new age of harmony with nature are: to vote with nature in mind; to buy stuff mindfully; and to choose a nature organisation to support with whatever regular amount you can afford. Once you start, you won’t stop. And when your children or grandchildren one day ask you what role you played in all of this, you’ll have an answer for them”. (Ben Goldsmith, writing for Lux magazine)

Nature, or biodiversity, is relevant to all businesses, irrespective of their sector or size. Some businesses have a very obvious link to biodiversity – for example developers need to restore or create habitats to more than make up for what will be lost through their developments, and any business which has a physical footprint on land has the potential to have both negative and positive impacts on biodiversity. Some businesses need to delve a little deeper into their supply chain, for example a fashion retailer would look at where their garments are manufactured to find the impacts the manufacturing process is having on biodiversity. The production of raw materials can have big impacts on biodiversity, and all businesses can make a positive difference by taking a ‘nature positive approach’ when making decisions about what to buy, from stationary to catering for events.

Many businesses are well aware of the need to become Net Zero, but as the Confederation of British Industry states "Firms must understand how their activity can lead to nature loss... you can't be net zero without being nature positive". Nature positive is an evolution in sustainability and comes with a new mindset that is pro-active and transformative. To achieve long-term stability in supply chains and production bases, businesses must expand sustainability strategies which contribute meaningfully to nature’s recovery.

Businesses will need to define what being Nature Positive means to them and determine how they will achieve it. The CBI acknowledge that a lack of expertise and understanding of the complex issues of “biodiversity” is “one of the biggest barriers to businesses”. This is where Wild Oxfordshire can help, so check out our Guidance for Businesses for more information on how you can become Nature Positive.

Many companies across Oxfordshire have started their Nature Positive Business journey. You can read on our website about Harwell Campus creating biodiverse habitats on their sites, Jennings planting spaces to encourage wildlife and pollinators, Blenheim Estates, planting 270,000 trees, Smiths Bletchingdon restoring quarries to nature reserves, Lyneham Heath Equestrian allowing hedgerow and wildflowers to bloom, Anne Veck Hair using sustainable cosmetic products, and the University of Oxford setting an ambition to achieve a gain in Biodiversity by 2035. You can join our Thames Valley Business and Nature Recovery Linked-In group for peer support, and join us at our annual  networking events (sign up to our Bulletin to hear about the next one!)

“Wild Oxfordshire is a recognised champion of the County’s natural environment and a key partner for businesses of any size and from any sector to start, advance and/or share their journey towards becoming Nature Positive. Harwell Science & Innovation Campus is pleased to be part of this collective movement for local organisations to be a force for nature in Oxfordshire.” Emmanuel Deschamps, Associate Director – Sustainability, Harwell Campus

How can you help?

If you work for or know a business who would like to find out more then encourage them to check out the guidance on our website and join our Linked-In group, as the first steps on their nature positive journey. By choosing the best options for nature we can, collectively, make a huge, positive contribution and achieve Nature’s Recovery in Oxfordshire.

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