Periodic Reporting for period 1 - GoNaturePositive (GoNaturePositive!)
Période du rapport: 2024-01-01 au 2025-06-30
We are experiencing an interconnected polycrisis of economic instability, social inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation. Planetary health is declining rapidly, with biodiversity disappearing faster than at any time in human history. Although science clearly shows the severe impacts of nature loss on human and economic well-being, this reality is still poorly reflected in economic policy.
In this context the ambition of GoNaturePositive! is to provide clarity on the concept of a nature-positive economy (NPE) and to accelerate multi-stakeholder action towards achieving it.We aim to deliver a clear definition and conceptual framework for the NPE, a roadmap proposing policy and governance pathways, blueprints for solutions to stubborn roadblocks, and pilot demonstrations of what a NPE could look like on the ground.
GoNaurePositive! will demonstrate how Nature-Positive practices can generate multiple benefits for people and the planet while reducing business risk and attracting increasingly nature-sensitive investors. It will pay focus on the role and potential of NbEs, leveraging existing platforms to deliver capacity building measures to help them scale for maximum NP impact.
Finally, we will cultivate NP leadership, harnessing the commitment of an Impact Board of multiplier networks towards achieving a long-term shared vision of the NPE.
The ambition agenda of GoNaturePositive! is being realised through a transdisciplinary consortium adopting a multi-stakeholder approach for systemic change, with Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and nature-based enterprises (NbEs) at its core. Cordinated by Trinity College Dublin, the project involves 20 partners across 14 countries, represented by research institutions, and non-profit and environmental organisations leading the NP agenda at global and European levels. Five European and one Global Pilot (covering Agri-Food including Apiculture, Forestry, Blue Economy, Tourism & the Built Environment) will be co-created with industrial, political, NGO and societal stakeholders.
In this context the ambition of GoNaturePositive! is to provide clarity on the concept of a nature-positive economy (NPE) and to accelerate multi-stakeholder action towards achieving it.We aim to deliver a clear definition and conceptual framework for the NPE, a roadmap proposing policy and governance pathways, blueprints for solutions to stubborn roadblocks, and pilot demonstrations of what a NPE could look like on the ground.
GoNaurePositive! will demonstrate how Nature-Positive practices can generate multiple benefits for people and the planet while reducing business risk and attracting increasingly nature-sensitive investors. It will pay focus on the role and potential of NbEs, leveraging existing platforms to deliver capacity building measures to help them scale for maximum NP impact.
Finally, we will cultivate NP leadership, harnessing the commitment of an Impact Board of multiplier networks towards achieving a long-term shared vision of the NPE.
The ambition agenda of GoNaturePositive! is being realised through a transdisciplinary consortium adopting a multi-stakeholder approach for systemic change, with Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and nature-based enterprises (NbEs) at its core. Cordinated by Trinity College Dublin, the project involves 20 partners across 14 countries, represented by research institutions, and non-profit and environmental organisations leading the NP agenda at global and European levels. Five European and one Global Pilot (covering Agri-Food including Apiculture, Forestry, Blue Economy, Tourism & the Built Environment) will be co-created with industrial, political, NGO and societal stakeholders.
The first goal of the project is to define a conceptual framework for the Nature-Positive Economy (NPE) with indicators and evaluation methods to clarify policy, regulatory, and market conditions needed for scale-up.
In the first 18 months, substantial progress was made through two reinforcing activities: robust research and extensive stakeholder engagement. A literature review and consultations generated 750+ responses from stakeholders in 50+ countries. Analysis identified recurring ‘sticky’ issues, further refined with partners and the Impact Board. This cycle of review and consultation, alongside monitoring the evolving political and scientific landscape, led to the first key achievement: publication of the GoNaturePositive! Concept Note on a Nature-Positive Economy (Deliverable 1.1).
Another milestone was a baseline assessment to support the NPE transition. This involved mapping overarching (environment, climate, economic development) and sectoral policy instruments (agri-food, built environment, blue economy, forestry, tourism), assessing alignment with four NPE principles: i) reducing harmful activities, ii) creating additional nature, iii) increasing knowledge of impacts, iv) supporting transformative change. Cooperative initiatives that accelerate action were also analyzed.
The mapping began with 60+ EU and international policy instruments and 60 initiatives, narrowed to 20 each for deeper analysis based on strategic relevance. Pilot partners provided sectoral insights, informing development of policy briefs with illustrative case studies. This culminated in the second key achievement: Mapping policy and co-operative initiative landscapes for systemic change towards a Nature-Positive Economy (Deliverable 1.3).
Finally, the period saw development of a strategy for the Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform (CNEP) to enhance visibility, scaling, and investment readiness of nature-based enterprises (NBEs)—a core element of the NPE. Despite being fragmented and resource-constrained, NBEs are critical drivers of the transition. The strategy, developed collaboratively with NBEs, partners, pilots, Impact Board members, and stakeholders, outlines how to engage and support these businesses. Its publication, Strategy for evolution of the CNEP profiling plans for NBE/NPI engagement for scaling and investment (Deliverable 4.2) was another major achievement of the first reporting period.
In the first 18 months, substantial progress was made through two reinforcing activities: robust research and extensive stakeholder engagement. A literature review and consultations generated 750+ responses from stakeholders in 50+ countries. Analysis identified recurring ‘sticky’ issues, further refined with partners and the Impact Board. This cycle of review and consultation, alongside monitoring the evolving political and scientific landscape, led to the first key achievement: publication of the GoNaturePositive! Concept Note on a Nature-Positive Economy (Deliverable 1.1).
Another milestone was a baseline assessment to support the NPE transition. This involved mapping overarching (environment, climate, economic development) and sectoral policy instruments (agri-food, built environment, blue economy, forestry, tourism), assessing alignment with four NPE principles: i) reducing harmful activities, ii) creating additional nature, iii) increasing knowledge of impacts, iv) supporting transformative change. Cooperative initiatives that accelerate action were also analyzed.
The mapping began with 60+ EU and international policy instruments and 60 initiatives, narrowed to 20 each for deeper analysis based on strategic relevance. Pilot partners provided sectoral insights, informing development of policy briefs with illustrative case studies. This culminated in the second key achievement: Mapping policy and co-operative initiative landscapes for systemic change towards a Nature-Positive Economy (Deliverable 1.3).
Finally, the period saw development of a strategy for the Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform (CNEP) to enhance visibility, scaling, and investment readiness of nature-based enterprises (NBEs)—a core element of the NPE. Despite being fragmented and resource-constrained, NBEs are critical drivers of the transition. The strategy, developed collaboratively with NBEs, partners, pilots, Impact Board members, and stakeholders, outlines how to engage and support these businesses. Its publication, Strategy for evolution of the CNEP profiling plans for NBE/NPI engagement for scaling and investment (Deliverable 4.2) was another major achievement of the first reporting period.
The publication of a definition and conceptual framework for the nature-positive economy ) is the first major scientific outcome and Key Exploitable Result of the project. The development of this framework involved all partners through an extensive consultation process and provides the foundation for all subsequent work.
Another important result was Deliverable 1.3 mapping the policy landscape for the nature-positive economy in Europe, accompanied by policy briefs in 5 sectoral areas linked to pilot activity. This deliverable clarifies the policy and regulatory landscape, opportunities and windows for change.
Scientific papers from these outputs are in preparation for submission to peer-reviewed journals and presentation at major scientific and policy events including the IUCN World Conservation Congress (October 2025), the IPBES Scientific Conference 2026, and the World Biodiversity Forum 2026.
The policy mapping was launched at a well-attended policy webinar in June 2025 (M18), with further events planned, including a dedicated policy dialogue in Brussels in November 2025.
The GoNaturePositive! strategy to support visibility, scaling and investment readiness of nature-based enterprises (NBEs) will be presented to a broad audience of researchers, policy-makers and practitioners at the Network Nature annual event (Brussels, 2025).
Another important result was Deliverable 1.3 mapping the policy landscape for the nature-positive economy in Europe, accompanied by policy briefs in 5 sectoral areas linked to pilot activity. This deliverable clarifies the policy and regulatory landscape, opportunities and windows for change.
Scientific papers from these outputs are in preparation for submission to peer-reviewed journals and presentation at major scientific and policy events including the IUCN World Conservation Congress (October 2025), the IPBES Scientific Conference 2026, and the World Biodiversity Forum 2026.
The policy mapping was launched at a well-attended policy webinar in June 2025 (M18), with further events planned, including a dedicated policy dialogue in Brussels in November 2025.
The GoNaturePositive! strategy to support visibility, scaling and investment readiness of nature-based enterprises (NBEs) will be presented to a broad audience of researchers, policy-makers and practitioners at the Network Nature annual event (Brussels, 2025).