1. Why should investors care about COP17?
Because biodiversity loss is also an economic issue. Many sectors depend on healthy ecosystems through access to water, fertile soil, pollination and resilient supply chains. As these natural systems come under pressure, so do business models and long-term returns. Investors therefore need to understand both the risks and opportunities linked to nature.
COP17 is the next major opportunity to turn the ambitions of the Global Biodiversity Framework into action. For investors, the focus is on whether governments are creating the policy conditions needed to redirect financial flows, improve transparency and accelerate the transition to a nature-positive economy.
2. Is biodiversity becoming the next major sustainability theme after climate?
It has been on the agenda for quite some time, but we're seeing growing recognition that nature loss creates real, material risks for companies, portfolios and economies, and that these risks need to be managed more systematically.
That said, climate change is often easier for people to understand, even though climate and nature are deeply interconnected. You cannot solve one without addressing the other.
For many years, climate dominated the sustainability agenda because the science, policy frameworks and investor tools were more developed. Biodiversity is now following a similar trajectory.
What makes biodiversity different is that it cannot be looked at in isolation. Healthy ecosystems are critical for climate mitigation and adaptation, while climate change is a major driver of biodiversity loss. From an investor perspective, both need to be assessed together.
3. What nature-related risks does the market still underestimate?
One of the biggest blind spots is how dependent companies are on nature. Water scarcity, land degradation and ecosystem decline can affect production, increase costs and disrupt supply chains, often with significant financial consequences.
Investors also tend to focus on direct impacts while overlooking risks across entire value chains. Healthy ecosystems provide essential services such as water regulation, soil fertility and pollination that businesses rely on every day.
More broadly, biodiversity loss is a systemic risk. Unlike many other ESG issues, it cuts across sectors and geographies and cannot simply be diversified away. That is why nature is increasingly being viewed as a core issue for long-term risk management and economic resilience.
"If ecosystems continue to deteriorate, the impact will extend beyond individual companies to the broader economy and financial system. That is why nature is increasingly viewed not as a niche sustainability issue, but as a core issue of long-term risk management and economic resilience."
If ecosystems continue to deteriorate, the impact will extend beyond individual companies to the broader economy and financial system. That is why nature is increasingly viewed not as a niche sustainability issue, but as a core issue of long-term risk management and economic resilience.
4. Where do you see the most attractive investment opportunities?
We often think about nature as something that needs protection, but it is also a source of innovation, resilience and long-term economic value. The most compelling opportunities are those that help transform sectors with the greatest impacts and dependencies on nature while improving productivity and reducing risk.
This includes sustainable food systems, ecosystem restoration, water infrastructure, circular economy solutions and technologies that improve resource efficiency. We also see growing opportunities in companies that enable better measurement, monitoring and management of nature-related risks and impacts.
More broadly, one of the most significant opportunities lies in financing the transition of the real economy. Just as the climate transition is creating opportunities across sectors, the nature-positive transition will require substantial investment in new business models, infrastructure and technologies.
5. What will you be watching most closely at COP17?
I’ll be watching implementation and financing. Many of the global biodiversity targets have already been agreed, so the key question now is how governments, companies and investors turn those commitments into action.
From an investor perspective, it’s about seeing real progress in aligning public and private capital with biodiversity goals. I’ll also be looking for stronger signals that nature loss is being treated as a systemic economic and financial risk.
Progress on disclosure standards, clearer policy direction and greater accountability will be important to help channel capital towards solutions and away from activities that drive ecosystem degradation.
Bonus question: If investors take away one message from COP17, what should it be?
COP17 should reinforce that long-term value creation depends on healthy ecosystems. Closing the biodiversity finance gap will require both increasing investment in nature-positive solutions and reducing the capital that continues to drive nature loss.
The transition is already underway, and investors who understand how nature-related risks and opportunities are evolving will be better positioned to deal with the challenges ahead.