Press Release
March 29, 2024
- Nature & Parks
Publication of Transition Strategies toward Nature Positive Economy
1.The Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism publicize the Transition Strategies toward Nature Positive Economy, which the four ministries jointly formulated.
2.The Strategies presents the necessity of a transition to nature positive management (business management to position the concept of nature preservation as materiality in individual companies' value creation processes), compiles elements that companies should take into account upon transition and concrete examples of possible new business opportunities, and materializes the national government's measures to support the transition to nature positive management.
3.Through the implementation of the Strategies, we aim to achieve a nature positive economy wherein individual companies make a shift to nature positive management to minimize their load in the value chain and maximize their contribution to nature through providing goods and services, wherein consumers and markets highly evaluate relevant efforts made by individual companies, and wherein such change in society facilitates due consideration for nature and proper evaluation thereof and achieves innovative changes in fund flows with initiatives by diverse entities, including the administration and ordinary citizens.
Purport and purposes
At the 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) held in December 2022, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, comprising the global targets for 2030, was adopted. This Framework, which is the successor to the Aichi targets adopted in 2010, set the 2030 mission to "take urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss to put nature on a path to recovery," or the concept of "nature positive."
In order to achieve this new international commitment, the Cabinet decided the National Biodiversity Strategy 2023-2030 (hereinafter referred to as the "National Biodiversity Strategy") in March 2023. Among the five basic strategies for achieving the 2030 mission, Basic Strategy 3 is the achievement of a nature positive economy.
The Transition Strategies toward Nature Positive Economy are positioned as priority measures in Basic Strategy 3. Since March 2022, the Study Group on Nature Positive Economies, which was established by the Ministry of the Environment, has had discussions, and the Transition Strategies toward Nature Positive Economy was compiled under the names of the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
In order to achieve this new international commitment, the Cabinet decided the National Biodiversity Strategy 2023-2030 (hereinafter referred to as the "National Biodiversity Strategy") in March 2023. Among the five basic strategies for achieving the 2030 mission, Basic Strategy 3 is the achievement of a nature positive economy.
The Transition Strategies toward Nature Positive Economy are positioned as priority measures in Basic Strategy 3. Since March 2022, the Study Group on Nature Positive Economies, which was established by the Ministry of the Environment, has had discussions, and the Transition Strategies toward Nature Positive Economy was compiled under the names of the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Outline
The Strategies explains in an easy-to-understand manner that nature positive management initiatives do not simply mean cost increase but will create chances that may lead to new economic growth based on natural capital and aims to encourage companies to take actions. For that purpose, the Strategies first states that too much dependance on and loss of natural capital in economic activities present clear risks to the sustainability of society and economy and that the transition to a nature positive economy is therefore necessary, and presents the following:
(i) concrete examples of companies' value improvement processes and possible business opportunities;
(ii) elements that companies should take into account in their efforts for shifting to nature positive management; and
(iii) the national government's back-up measures.
Individual processes in promoting nature positive management (development of relevant systems, formulation of plans, etc.) are shown in the Guidelines for Private Sector Engagement in Biodiversity (Third Edition issued in April 2023), and the Strategies serves as a bridge between the National Biodiversity Strategy and the Guidelines.
Based on the Strategies, we will promote measures proactively to proceed with the transition to a nature positive economy under close collaboration among relevant ministries and agencies.
(i) concrete examples of companies' value improvement processes and possible business opportunities;
(ii) elements that companies should take into account in their efforts for shifting to nature positive management; and
(iii) the national government's back-up measures.
Individual processes in promoting nature positive management (development of relevant systems, formulation of plans, etc.) are shown in the Guidelines for Private Sector Engagement in Biodiversity (Third Edition issued in April 2023), and the Strategies serves as a bridge between the National Biodiversity Strategy and the Guidelines.
Based on the Strategies, we will promote measures proactively to proceed with the transition to a nature positive economy under close collaboration among relevant ministries and agencies.
