Article
Climate resilience becomes an asset and supply-chain issue
How physical risk, water constraints and natural-capital dependencies can reshape where companies operate and invest.
Understand where business value depends on natural systems before degradation turns environmental dependency into operational or strategic constraint
We connect enterprise activities with ecosystems, biodiversity and natural resources to identify where dependencies, impacts and strategic choices intersect.
Businesses depend on natural capital in ways that are often less visible than their dependence on financial or manufactured assets. Water availability, soil quality, pollination, ecosystem stability and other natural services can influence sourcing, production and long-term market viability. At the same time, business activities can accelerate degradation and create regulatory or stakeholder consequences. Nature strategy maps these relationships and identifies where dependency or impact is material. It then evaluates how sourcing, footprint, product, investment or restoration choices can reduce exposure and preserve the natural systems on which future enterprise value may depend.
Focus
Nature risk is becoming an enterprise issue where ecosystems support economic activity
Land, biodiversity and ecosystem services can affect supply continuity, permitting, asset value and operating legitimacy.
Read nowStrategic Challenges
Which business dependencies rely on natural systems that are being degraded?
The challenge is identifying material dependencies and impacts without reducing nature risk to an abstract environmental inventory.
Read nowStrategic Impacts
Natural-capital analysis makes ecological dependencies more visible to management
Mapping ecosystem reliance and exposure helps leadership identify where nature loss could affect operations, sourcing or investment.
Read nowObserved Patterns
Nature strategies often measure impact before understanding business dependence
Broad biodiversity metrics can obscure the specific ecosystems whose deterioration would materially affect enterprise performance.
Read nowStrategic Challenges
Which business dependencies rely on natural systems that are being degraded?
The challenge is identifying material dependencies and impacts without reducing nature risk to an abstract environmental inventory.
Read nowStrategic Impacts
Natural-capital analysis makes ecological dependencies more visible to management
Mapping ecosystem reliance and exposure helps leadership identify where nature loss could affect operations, sourcing or investment.
Read nowObserved Patterns
Nature strategies often measure impact before understanding business dependence
Broad biodiversity metrics can obscure the specific ecosystems whose deterioration would materially affect enterprise performance.
Read nowPOV
Nature is not an externality when the business model depends on it
Enterprise strategy should treat critical ecosystem services as productive inputs where degradation can alter real economics.
Read nowOur approach
Map dependencies and impacts on natural systems before defining where mitigation, restoration or strategic change should concentrate
Our approach� begins by identifying where enterprise activities rely on water, land, ecosystems, biodiversity and other forms of natural capital. We map dependencies and impacts across operations, supply chains and geographies and assess materiality according to business consequence and ecological sensitivity. Priority areas are then evaluated for avoidance, reduction, restoration, sourcing or portfolio alternatives. We connect these choices with operating and investment decisions and define indicators that track both enterprise exposure and relevant environmental condition rather than relying on broad commitments detached from specific natural systems.
The data and estimates presented are indicative and intended for illustrative purposes. Actual outcomes may vary based on each company’s specific context, market conditions, operating model, implementation choices, and the quality and consistency of execution, including actions undertaken by the client.
Keypillars
Explore the key pillars that define this capability and shape how we create focused, measurable business impact.
Nature dependency
Maps business reliance on ecosystems, land, water, biodiversity, and natural resources across operations, assets, and supply chains
Impact visibility
Assesses how enterprise activities affect ecosystems and where those impacts create regulatory, operational, reputational, or economic exposure
Natural capital choices
Integrates nature-related dependencies and impacts into sourcing, investment, land use, risk, and long-term strategic decisions
How dependent is your business on natural systems whose economic importance may not appear on the balance sheet?
Get in touch with our Nature, biodiversity and natural capital strategy team to assess dependencies, impacts and strategic priorities.
Get in touchStrategic Framework
Explore our Strategic Framework
Explore our strategic framework applied to page_title and discover which model we apply to help you achieve your goals and objectives.
Discover our framework01. Map dependencies
Identify operations, products, suppliers, and locations dependent on ecosystems, land, water, and natural resources
06. Track outcomes
Monitor ecosystem condition, resource use, restoration progress, supplier performance, and changing exposure
05. Integrate decisions
Embed natural-capital considerations into sourcing, investment, footprint, product, and risk decisions
02. Assess impacts
Evaluate habitat change, resource pressure, pollution, land use, ecosystem degradation, and biodiversity effects
03. Prioritize hotspots
Locate areas where enterprise dependence and impact intersect with ecological sensitivity and strategic exposure
04. Define pathways
Identify avoidance, reduction, restoration, regeneration, sourcing, and ecosystem-management responses
How we help
Integrate dependencies and impacts on nature into strategic choices across sourcing, footprint, investment and portfolio decisions
We provide nature, biodiversity and natural-capital strategy across operations and value chains. The work can include dependency and impact mapping, materiality analysis, water and land exposure, ecosystem risk, sourcing implications and restoration options. Outputs identify where natural systems are critical to enterprise value, where activities create material environmental pressure and which strategic or operating choices can reduce dependency, avoid degradation or improve long-term resilience.
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Nature strategy
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Biodiversity impact assessment
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Nature dependency assessment
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Natural capital assessment
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Nature risk assessment
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Biodiversity baseline development
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Nature hotspot mapping
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Land-use impact assessment
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Deforestation exposure assessment
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Ecosystem restoration strategy
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Nature-positive transition planning
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Biodiversity target setting
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Nature investment assessment
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Nature-based solutions assessment
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Natural capital valuation
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Nature performance monitoring
Explore our FAQs
Find answers to the most common questions about this service, including key features, processes, and practical considerations. Explore our FAQs for additional insights and guidance.
It should identify dependencies, impacts and risks linked to ecosystems, land, water and natural resources across operations and value chains.
Focus on ecosystem services whose degradation could materially affect production, supply, regulation or long-term asset value.
It refers to natural assets and ecosystem services that support economic activity, such as water, soil, forests and biodiversity.
Use location-specific indicators tied to material pressures rather than relying on one universal metric across all activities.
When degradation creates material business exposure and restoration can improve resilience, compliance or long-term access to natural resources.
Trace critical sourcing regions and inputs where ecosystem degradation or land-use pressure could disrupt availability or market access.
Compare ecological significance, business dependence, feasibility and risk reduction rather than funding visible projects with limited strategic relevance.
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Editorial overview
Articles
Climate resilience becomes an asset and supply-chain issue
How physical risk, water constraints and natural-capital dependencies can reshape where companies operate and invest.
Read articleGreen industrial policy is changing the basis of competition
How incentives, carbon economics and sustainability regulation can alter costs, market access and strategic investment priorities.
Read articleFocus
Transition scenarios test strategy against uncertain policy and technology paths
Different pathways for regulation, energy, demand and technology can materially alter assets, economics and competitive position.
Circularity matters when product design changes resource and customer economics
Reuse, repair, recovery and alternative ownership models can reshape lifecycle cost, material dependence and customer value.
Strategic challenges
Where do stakeholder expectations materially constrain strategic freedom?
The challenge is distinguishing consequential expectations from pressure that is visible but unlikely to change enterprise outcomes.
Which transition pathways would force different enterprise choices?
The challenge is creating scenarios divergent enough to expose strategic vulnerability without pretending uncertainty can be forecast precisely.