Nature & Biodiversity

Why should retailers act on nature?

Every cup of coffee, cotton t-shirt, or wooden furniture item in a British retail store begins with nature.

The UK retail industry 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 material risks to the resilience of our supply chains and the future of the industry.

The joint emergencies of climate change and nature degradation is one of the greatest threats to both our planet and the economy. Over half of global GDP sits in value chains that are moderately or highly dependent on nature and the services it provides, meaning that action to identify and address nature-related risks and impacts is a business necessity - not just a 'nice to have'. 

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

UK retailers 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.

How are we supporting retailers to deliver on nature?

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

Our programme started in 2024, in which the principal aim was awareness: we ran webinars and workshops focused on building understanding of why nature matters to retail, identifying barriers to nature-positive action, and establishing a picture of industry progress by conducting the first survey of retailer progress on nature.

Building on insights from the first Progress Report, the BRC published the Nature Positive Plan in January 2026.

The BRC Nature Positive Plan is the first nature-focused industry plan to drive targeted action on nature.

Developed in partnership with RSK Group, the Nature Positive Plan is a flexible, actionable guide designed to help retailers move from ambition to practical action on nature, by providing a roadmap to identify clear actions businesses can take across five focus areas:

1. Governance
2. Operations
3. Product
4. Supply Chain
5. Advocacy

The BRC is supporting retailers across three pillars of activity:

1. Education: Support on how to get started, how to build the business case internally, how to develop a strategy and governance framework, and what best practice action looks like across different sectors.
2. Data: Encouraging standardised approaches to nature disclosures and data collection and improving supplier engagement on nature.
3. Policy: Advocating for workable, consistent policies which enable business action on nature and promote responsible sourcing.