Net Zero Nature: WWF's Tanya Steele on why nature matters

BusinessGreen staff
clock • 1 min read

VIDEO: UK chief executive of the conservation group issues a rallying call for businesses to jointly tackle the interlinked nature loss and climate crises

Nature underpins our economies and our prosperity, and our failure to reverse nature loss is therefore costing us dearly.

But the good news is that nature can provide around one-third of the cost-effective climate mitigation needed between now and 2030 to achieve the 1.5ºC goal of the Paris Agreement. Natural solutions are estimated to have the potential to lift a billion people out of poverty, create 80 million jobs, add an additional $2.3tr of growth to the global economy, and prevent $3.7tr of climate change damages. So what's holding us back?

Speaking at BusinessGreen's Net Zero Nature Summit last week, WWF UK's chief executive Tanya Steele offered her take on why nature is so crucial to tackling the climate crisis, arguing that reversing nature loss holds huge opportunities society and business alike - but that time is fast running out to take action.

The fascinating and wide-ranging keynote discussion with BusinessGreen's editor in chief James Murray can now be watched again in full above, and is also available on demand to watch again on the Net Zero Nature event website.

All of the panel debates, keynote speeches, and presentations from BusinessGreen's recent Net Zero Nature summit event - which took place on 27 May and featured scores of top speakers from business, politics and academia - are now available to watch again on demand for those who have signed up to the event through the Net Zero Nature website and on Swapcard.

More on Biodiversity

West Midlands Mayor urges businesses to back £150m nature recovery plan

West Midlands Mayor urges businesses to back £150m nature recovery plan

Region's biggest ever fundraising drive launched to attract millions of pounds into nature recovery projects

Stuart Stone
clock 06 July 2026 • 6 min read
Over half of UK farmers adopting regenerative practices as climate pressures intensify

Over half of UK farmers adopting regenerative practices as climate pressures intensify

Study by Barclays explores how UK farmers are responding to the changing economics of running a farm as climate risks intensify

clock 03 July 2026 • 2 min read
Last government breached nature laws by approving 'bee-killing' pesticides, watchdog rules

Last government breached nature laws by approving 'bee-killing' pesticides, watchdog rules

Emergency authorisation of restricted pesticides under the previous government violated environmental protections, OEP investigation concludes

Stuart Stone
clock 03 July 2026 • 6 min read