The latest UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) officially wrapped up in Cali, Colombia last week, concluding two weeks of discussion that catalysed conversation on the urgent need for both government and businesses to understand, address and reverse nature degradation and biodiversity loss.
For retail businesses in particular, the international spotlight on nature and biodiversity in the lead up to and during COP16 underscored the case for industry action on nature. Retailers have been urged to understand the dependencies and impacts their supply chains have on the planet’s natural resources to produce the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the goods we buy. You can read more on this here.
The heightened focus on nature has also brought to attention the UK’s shortcomings in achieving key goals on nature and biodiversity. Ahead of COP16, it became starkly apparent that the UK Government had fallen behind – and by several metrics was moving backwards – in its progress towards the target of halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. The UK had also missed the UN’s deadline to publish a new national plan – known as a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) – for how it will address nature loss, which was a key commitment from COP15 in 2022.
In response, the new Government has stated an intention to “make this the most nature-positive government this nation has ever had.” Secretary of State for Defra, Steve Reed, has launched a review of the Environmental Improvement Plan and following the Autumn Budget, Defra has announced the largest budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in the department’s history. We have also seen the beginnings of a renewed government focus on nature in the regulatory space, with the UK’s Biodiversity Net Gain legislation and nature-friendly farming subsidies having received commendation at COP16.
However, policy inaction remains the general status-quo both within and beyond the UK. By the close of COP16 delegates had failed to finalise key decisions on the delivery of a new global nature finance strategy or the establishment of a monitoring and reporting framework to track progress towards global goals on nature.
In the face of disappointing and dangerous delays on the global stage, the UK Government must scale up action on nature to support retailers and their supply chains now more than ever. Below are four immediate actions government can take to begin to enable nature-positive solutions for the retail industry.
Clarify the UK’s Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR)
- The previous government had outlined plans for SDR, which never came to fruition.
- UK businesses need clarity on what nature-related reporting and disclosure requirements could apply in the UK, how existing frameworks such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) will feature, and how it would align with its European equivalent, the Coporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
Deliver the Forest Risk Commodities (FRC) Due Diligence Regulations
- The proposed scope of FRC regulations was published under the previous government but has faced continued delays since the election.
- Government must lay secondary legislation to implement the regulations, finding mutual alignment with EUDR where possible to avoid unnecessarily burdening retailers.
Legislate the ban on the sale of peat
- Major retailers have called on the government to legislate the ban on peat sales and peat-containing products initially promised under the previous government. Although many retailers have already moved away from the direct sale of peat, legislation will unite the industry’s approach.
BRC Plan for Nature
Although government action is required to accelerate industry progress, retailers can still move forward in their nature-positive ambitions.
The BRC Plan for Nature is an ongoing programme of events across 2024/25 that aims to educate on the importance of nature and biodiversity to retailers, identify barriers to nature-positive action, and engage with members and stakeholders to enable solutions that will drive retailer’s nature strategies.
Our next event, BRC Nature Day on 28 November, represents an excellent opportunity to kickstart your work on nature. The event will map out where and how retailers should begin to incorporate nature and biodiversity into their strategy, including discussions on barriers, challenges, and potential solutions. You can register for this event here.
For all other upcoming events alongside a list of helpful resources on nature and biodiversity from the BRC, please find our Plan for Nature programme for 2024/25 here.
For any queries, please contact our policy lead Sophie De Salis.