A Guidebook for Businesses on Nature

The World Resources Institute's guidebook introduces the ARK and SPARK frameworks to help businesses move from nature-related commitments to tangible action. Based on input from 41 corporate actors, the guide outlines a five-step process for identifying nature-related risks and opportunities, prioritizing actions, securing internal support, refining operational mechanisms, and evaluating outcomes. It also identifies key internal enablers, such as leadership commitment and governance structures, and external drivers, including regulatory pressure and investor demand, while addressing barriers like financing constraints and the difficulty of articulating a clear business case for nature investments.

• The guidebook introduces the ARK and SPARK frameworks, developed from a literature review and input from 41 corporate actors, to guide companies through a five-step process: identifying risks and opportunities, prioritizing significance, assessing support and action, refining operational mechanisms, and kicking off and evaluating initiatives.
• Corporate action on nature is increasingly driven by the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and its 30x30 Nature Goals, alongside pressure from investors, customers, and regulatory bodies.
• Internal enablers for nature strategies include visionary leadership from CEOs and boards, a corporate culture that values sustainability, and dedicated governance structures that align sustainability goals with business objectives.
• External drivers for nature financing include consumer demand, reputational risks associated with negative impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity, regulatory developments, and investor demand for long-term value and risk management.
• Businesses face three primary barriers to nature action: a lack of internal motivation or awareness, financing constraints caused by the long time horizons of nature initiatives, and difficulty in articulating a business case due to a lack of clear KPIs or risk pricing.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). A Guidebook for Businesses on Nature. https://www.wri.org/research/guidebook-businesses-nature

Chicago

World Resources Institute. A Guidebook for Businesses on Nature. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/guidebook-businesses-nature.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=A Guidebook for Businesses on Nature |url=https://www.wri.org/research/guidebook-businesses-nature |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendguidebook, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{A Guidebook for Businesses on Nature}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/guidebook-businesses-nature}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }