Integrating biodiversity and business: Emerging methods driving the nature economy

Abstract Biodiversity is increasingly recognised as a material (i.e. significant) risk to corporate value creation due to links with climate risk, land use and social equity, and through growing engagement with frameworks, such as the Taskforce on Nature‐related Financial Disclosure and Science‐Based Targets Network. Whilst nature loss manifests as operational, regulatory, reputational and financial risks, nature‐related opportunities are also unlocking differentiation, new revenue (e.g. nature‐based solutions and ecosystem markets), resilience and improved access to capital. Emerging methods driving the nature economy are building on, and beyond, climate governance architectures to the non‐fungible, multidimensional nature of biodiversity. This Special Feature presents a range of methods that are translating this complexity into formats that are digestible and usable by business and finance. It covers integrative indicators for Nature Positive; ecosystem‐condition assessment (including simulation state‐and‐transition models and leading indicators of restoration); corporate and farm‐scale natural capital accounting; and impact/dependency tools spanning life cycle assessment (and how we address uncertainty transparently), biodiversity footprinting, risk screening for indirect impacts and practical species distribution models for applied decisions. The papers in this Special Feature showcase a young and dynamic field, where smart approaches and creative thinking are balanced with thoughtful scientific practice to ensure guardrails for credible and trustworthy outcomes. They also address key challenges facing the integration of ecological science into business‐practical formats across the conceptual and applied, and at a range of scales from site‐based to global measurements. As we improve our capacity to observe, represent, attribute and aggregate business and biodiversity data, we urge ecologists to work across disciplinary boundaries, partnering with economists, data scientists and business leaders to continue the development of methods that are scalable, interoperable and grounded in ecological reality.