WHY CORPORATE INVESTMENTS IN NATURE ARE URGENTLY NEEDED

The document asserts that corporate net-zero targets are fundamentally dependent on the continued function of natural carbon sinks, which are currently declining. It argues that value-chain decarbonization alone is insufficient because significant nature-related emissions occur in informal sectors and many companies lack science-based targets. To address a projected $4.1 trillion finance gap for nature, the briefing proposes that if 1,700 of the world's highest emitters compensated for 10% of their annual emissions through nature-based solutions, they could mobilize 30 Gt of climate solutions by 2030, representing over 10% of the remaining 1.5°C carbon budget.

• Corporate net-zero targets rely on the assumption that natural carbon sinks remain intact, but these sinks are declining at an unprecedented rate. If nature loss continues, the science underpinning these targets will become obsolete, forcing companies to either rapidly accelerate decarbonization or rely on expensive carbon removal.
• Nature is critical to the global carbon cycle, accounting for 58% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas flows and 35% of gross annual human-caused emissions. The land system must provide 30% or more of the climate solution by 2030 and 2050 to maintain a 1.5°C pathway.
• Efforts limited to corporate value chains cannot address all nature-related emissions because many sources, such as subsistence farming and informal food supply chains, fall outside corporate reach. Additionally, most companies, including those with significant food, land and agriculture (FLAG) footprints, lack science-based targets.
• There is a severe funding deficit for nature-based solutions, with less than 3% of international climate finance directed toward land use. A finance gap of $4.1 trillion is expected by midcentury, requiring companies to triple their investments in nature-based solutions by 2030.
• A hypothetical scenario where 1,700 of the world's highest emitting companies compensate for 10% of their annual emissions through nature investments could mobilize 30 Gt of nature-based climate solutions by 2030. This would represent more than 10% of the remaining 1.5°C carbon budget and nearly 25% of the potential 12 Gt of abatement from nature.

APA

We Mean Business Coalition (n.d.). WHY CORPORATE INVESTMENTS IN NATURE ARE URGENTLY NEEDED. https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Why-Corporate-Investments-in-Nature-are-Urgently-Needed.pdf

Chicago

We Mean Business Coalition. WHY CORPORATE INVESTMENTS IN NATURE ARE URGENTLY NEEDED. n.d. https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Why-Corporate-Investments-in-Nature-are-Urgently-Needed.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=We Mean Business Coalition |title=WHY CORPORATE INVESTMENTS IN NATURE ARE URGENTLY NEEDED |url=https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Why-Corporate-Investments-in-Nature-are-Urgently-Needed.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wemeanbusinesscoalitionndwhy, author = {{We Mean Business Coalition}}, title = {{WHY CORPORATE INVESTMENTS IN NATURE ARE URGENTLY NEEDED}}, institution = {We Mean Business Coalition}, url = {https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Why-Corporate-Investments-in-Nature-are-Urgently-Needed.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }