Let’s talk
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Fola’s recent webinar on 4 November brought together speakers from OVO Energy – Ella Thomson, Oxbury Bank – Carolien Samson, and Business for Nature – Michael Ofosuhene-Wise to explore practical steps for integrating climate and nature strategies inside organisations. The discussion coincided with negotiations in Belém, where COP30 placed renewed emphasis on the inseparability of climate and nature. This alignment gave the session particular relevance, highlighting how corporate action can complement global policymaking.
The speakers focused on day-to-day realities for sustainability teams: siloed structures, uneven data, and competing priorities. Yet the message was clear: action cannot wait for perfect conditions. Businesses already have enough insight to make decisions that benefit both climate and nature, and the convergence of the two agendas can simplify rather than complicate strategy.
Five themes emerged from the discussion:
1. Act now: Pace matters more than precision.
2. Recognise interdependence between climate and nature: Net zero cannot be reached without restoring ecosystems.
3. Find operational synergies: Integrating nature does not double the workload/budget.
4. Strengthen the business case: Nature-positive action prevents losses and opens new opportunities.
5. Embed nature into climate ambition: Neither goal succeeds alone. “Neither can live while unless the other survives.” P. Trelawney
The broader climate-nature nexus shaped much of this year’s COP narrative. Forests, oceans, and wetlands underpin climate stability, safeguard water systems, and support economic value. Their degradation jeopardises both mitigation and adaptation efforts. Achieving net zero therefore requires conserving and restoring natural systems at scale, while reversing biodiversity loss is impossible without addressing accelerating climatic pressures. These agendas reinforce one another.
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For businesses, this makes integration essential. Climate strategies are now familiar, but nature strategies covering soil health, water, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience are newer and often harder to quantify. Leadership teams frequently understand the urgency but lack clarity on how to link nature-related risks to financial and operational decisions. Closing this knowledge gap is becoming a strategic requirement.
Practical steps discussed during the webinar provided a route forward:
Materiality assessment: Use frameworks such as TNFD LEAP or SBTN to map impacts and dependencies, even with imperfect data.
Assess dependencies: Identify where operations, finance, or supply chains rely on natural capital.
Get the obvious wins: Start with no-regret, “grab the bucket” actions, don’t let complexity or the quest for perfection stall progress.
Make reporting strategic: Treat disclosures as strategic tools rather than compliance exercises.
Advocate for policy coherence: Regulations emerging from COP30 (and COP17 next year) will shape markets; business engagement can accelerate progress.
Integrating climate and nature is ultimately about building resilience and long-term value. Businesses that recognise ecological constraints and embed them into core strategy are better equipped to manage volatility and stay competitive. The discussion at Fola’s webinar underscored a wider shift: climate and nature must be addressed together if organisations are to deliver credible, future-fit performance. If you’re looking to advance this agenda, Fola can help. Get in touch to explore practical and minded ways to move from intention to action.
