Nature & Biodiversity

Why should retailers act on nature?

The joint climate and biodiversity emergency is one of the greatest threats to both our planet and the economy.

UK retail relies on and connects consumers to a network of producers and industries across the globe — from farms and forests to mines and factories. The goods retailers produce and sell are heavily dependent on natural resources, putting pressure on nature, biodiversity, and ecosystems in the UK and globally.

This creates growing risks to the resilience of our supply chains and the future of the industry.

Beyond commercial disruption, with nature rapidly climbing up regulatory, legal, reputational, and investor agendas, the pressure on businesses to act is growing.

But it is important to see nature not just as a risk; it is also a strategic opportunity to build more resilient supply chains, strengthen leadership, and create long-term value.

UK retailers act as a bridge between millions of UK consumers and complex supply chains stretching across the globe, and collectively hold a unique power to influence the transition to a nature-positive industry.

Nature is inextricably linked to climate and people — and integrated action can achieve triple wins. Retailers must connect the dots between climate, nature, and ethical strategies to move closer to net zero, nature positive, and equitable operations and supply chains.

BRC Plan for Nature

The BRC's Plan for Nature is a campaign and programme of events that aims to support the retail industry take collective action on nature.

Year 1 of the programme focused on educating members on the importance of acting on nature, identifying barriers to nature-positive action, and convening members and key stakeholders to work on solutions to catalyse retailer’s nature strategies.

Year 2 starts in January 2026, with the launch of the Nature Positive Plan.

Developed in partnership with RSK Group, the Nature Positive Plan will identify the key actions that retailers can take to get started on nature.

The BRC will focus on supporting retailers across three pillars of activity:

1. Policy: Advocating for workable policies that enable business action on nature
2. Data: Encouraging standardised approaches to nature disclosures and data collection and improving supplier engagement on nature
3. Education: Supporting members on their nature journey by upskilling on how to get started and building the business case internally