A Call for Managerial Leadership in Nature-Positive Transition
The accelerating loss of biodiversity is far more than an environmental concern — it has become an economic and social emergency that deeply affects European prosperity and resilience.
As natural ecosystems deteriorate, the foundations upon which our economies rest begin to erode.
A large proportion of jobs, industries, and financial systems depend, whether directly or indirectly, on functioning ecosystems.
In France, recent figures show that 80% of employment is connected to biodiversity.
Across Europe, the situation is similarly critical: almost three-quarters of non-financial companies rely on ecosystem services, and close to half of all financial assets are exposed to risks tied to biodiversity degradation.
This European reality makes it clear that we must move beyond fragmented responses.
Biodiversity must be central to economic strategy, not seen as a secondary or niche issue.
What’s needed is a paradigm shift — from simply mitigating harm to fundamentally transforming how we engage with the natural world. Economic actors must become drivers of ecosystem restoration, not just limiters of damage.
A recent report from the French National Biodiversity Committee, jointly led by Madeleine Gilbert of our French member organisation CFE-CGC and Sylvain Boucherand of BL Evolution, presents valuable insights into how the business sector can deepen its engagement with biodiversity.
It advocates embedding biodiversity considerations in business operations, enhancing awareness and training, fostering greater participation from the financial sector, and advancing transparency and collaboration. These are essential steps toward aligning business practices with ecological realities.
At CEC European Managers, we strongly support these recommendations.
We highlight the importance of creating a European framework that empowers managers to lead the way in this transition.
Managers, situated at the intersection of strategic vision and operational execution, have a unique ability to shape corporate culture, steer investment, and stimulate innovation in favour of sustainable approaches.
Managers are not just implementers; they are changemakers.
As a recognised European social partner, we call for biodiversity to be integrated into all levels of social dialogue — from EU-level negotiations to discussions within individual companies.
Social dialogue provides a crucial platform for embedding long-term ecological thinking into workplace practices, corporate governance, and future workforce planning.
Small and medium-sized enterprises must also be equipped with the necessary tools, guidance, and financial incentives to play an active role in preserving biodiversity and ensuring that the green transition is both inclusive and effective.
The shift toward a nature-positive economy demands a redefinition of success — one that includes new skills, new performance indicators, and a closer alignment with global frameworks such as the Global Biodiversity Framework and the EU Green Deal.
Managers must be supported and enabled to drive this change, not just because of the existential risks posed by biodiversity loss but also because they have the potential to transform their organisations and industries from within.
In essence, biodiversity is a strategic issue for Europe’s future. Engaging economic actors — with managers at the forefront — is no longer optional.
It is an imperative if we are to build economies that remain viable within the limits of our planet, and if Europe is to maintain its position as a global leader in sustainability.
The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 charts a clear and ambitious course to halt and reverse biodiversity loss across the continent. As an integral part of the European Green Deal, the strategy envisions a continent where nature and human activity coexist in harmony.
Its legal protections for a significant portion of land and marine areas, combined with the Nature Restoration Law, represent a profound commitment to reversing ecological degradation.
Measures to rehabilitate ecosystems — including forests, wetlands, rivers, and agricultural landscapes — are paired with ambitious tree planting initiatives and efforts to drastically cut pesticide use, reflecting a holistic vision of environmental recovery.
Another focal point is protecting pollinators, vital to biodiversity and food systems. Substantial public and private funding must also be mobilised to turn these plans into reality.
Key targets include:
Legally protect at least 30% of the EU’s land and marine areas by 2030, with a third strictly protected.
The Nature Restoration Law, obliging Member States to rehabilitate at least 20% of degraded land and sea by 2030, with targets rising to 60% by 2040 and 90% by 2050.
Restore 25,000 km of rivers to their free-flowing state.
Plant three billion trees following ecological principles.
Reduce chemical pesticide use by 50% by 2030.
The strategy also includes measures to:
Protect pollinators, especially bees, critical for food production.
Mobilize €20 billion annually through public and private investment.
Integrate biodiversity into all public policies and corporate decision-making.
Track progress digitally with monitoring tools and dashboards.
The EU’s push for transparency ensures that implementation remains on course and accountable through digital tools that monitor progress and track actions.
Beyond its borders, the EU seeks to shape global biodiversity policy, asserting leadership in the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity and working to elevate international ambitions. Through bold domestic action and global diplomacy, Europe is positioning itself as a champion of environmental renewal.
Together, these efforts demonstrate that biodiversity is not just a conservation goal — it is a foundation for resilience, innovation, and economic security. By equipping managers, engaging all sectors, and anchoring biodiversity in every level of governance, we can ensure that Europe thrives not in spite of nature, but in partnership with it.
Leaders and managers have a crucial role to play and, for that, at the last edition of the United Nations Summit COP29, CEC European Managers and its member organisation Lederne presented leading scientists’ perspectives on the role of climate leadership, alongside the real-world experiences of European leaders, highlighting both solutions and challenges.
Torkild Justesen, CEC General Secretary, disseminated the ten principles for the future of climate leadership and highlighted the many business leaders in the EU who have made significant progress, with several notable examples, on European climate leadership.
You can find more information on our French member organisation website [+]
