At the 49th Breakfast at Sustainability, held at ICLEI Europe’s Brussels office, experts and stakeholders explored how this concept can move from ambition to implementation.
A central message emerged: clear and practical indicators are essential if Europe is to shift from nature-negative to nature-positive economic activities.
Marianne Zandersen from Aarhus University and Francesca Magnolo from the Research Institute for Nature and Forest – Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek presented the Nature-Positive Economy concept note, as well as the Guiding principles and first set of operational indicators for measuring progress towards the NPE.
The framework centers on five pillars:
-
Full recovery of nature
-
Prosperity for all
-
Respecting ecological limits
-
Transforming economic systems
-
Ensuring a social foundation
While participants broadly agreed on the ambition and relevance of these principles, discussions about implementation took center stage.
Across breakout groups, stakeholders from finance, insurance, business, academia, local authorities and civil society examined how these principles can be translated into operational indicators and governance tools.
In the final session, participants reflected on how science-based policies could shape a Nature-Positive Economy by 2050. Ideas included integrating nature-related disclosures into financial regulation, shifting public incentives toward nature-positive activities and moving beyond GDP toward broader wellbeing indicators. Despite different perspectives, one shared conclusion stood out: nature must be embedded as a foundational pillar of economic, political and social systems, not treated as a standalone policy issue.
Everyone has a role to play in advancing a Nature-Positive Economy, from citizens and communities to businesses, investors, policymakers, researchers and standard bodies.
Join the GoNaturePositive! Community to be a part of the movement for a nature-positive future and help drive meaningful change for people and nature.
