Corporate leaders converge at Kew Gardens to accelerate practical action on nature
On Wednesday 22 October, 2025, corporate leaders representing more than £1.4 trillion in annual revenue gathered at Kew Gardens to discuss the urgent need for practical action on nature across global business and finance. The event, titled ‘Accelerating Corporate Nature Positive Journeys’, was hosted by leading British biodiversity consultancy Biodiversify in partnership with Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.
The gathering brought together sustainability leaders from 12 industries, including some of the UK’s largest retailers such as Primark, The Co-op Group, BAM UK & Ireland, The Crown Estate, and The Gascoyne Estate. More than 50 companies participated in the event, reflecting the growing demand for corporate nature expertise in the UK.
The event marks a shift in how UK businesses approach biodiversity, moving away from policy discussions and compliance frameworks towards practical implementation and coordinated action. According to Dr. Samuel Sinclair, Co-Founder and Director at Biodiversify, this shift is a reflection of the new reality facing corporates, as dedicated in-house nature roles have become critical positions that benefit from peer support, shared learning, and collaborative problem-solving.
The one-day session, conducted under the Chatham House Rule to encourage candid discussion, functioned as a solutions-focused workshop where mid-to-senior-level practitioners tackled real-world challenges. The discussions centred on integrating nature-positive strategies into commercial decision-making, risk planning, supply chain resilience, and building compelling business cases for nature investment within executive leadership.
Dr. Sinclair believes that the UK is emerging as a global hub for nature-positive business leadership and that this event is a manifestation of that. He says, “We’re seeing the world’s largest companies not just talking about nature but actively coordinating action and unlocking significant investment to transform their operations. The appetite for practical, action-oriented guidance has never been stronger.”
Philippa Jefferis, Lead Sustainability Controller at BAM UK & Ireland, found the event invaluable for its opportunity to meet and collaborate with other industries. She says, “The focus on collective learning and peer-to-peer support was incredibly beneficial, and I look forward to seeing more events like this in the future.”
For more information on Biodiversify, visit their website at https://biodiversify.com/. The consultancy is passionate about partnering with clients committed to nature and educates and supports them in mitigating biodiversity loss throughout their operations and supply chains. Their expert team specialises in using cutting-edge science to understand complex social and ecological systems to make informed decisions about how to protect and restore our planet’s natural resources.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.