Nature Positive

The health of our planet and humanity is inextricably linked. Increased recognition of our ethical responsibility and the need to stop environmental decline from anthropogenic climate change is driving business and regulators to prioritise nature positive and social outcomes.

Environmental decline is impacting our way of life, businesses, and threatening future human survival. With over half of the world’s economic value intrinsically tied to nature through sectors like agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, it is imperative to move towards a nature positive world.

Globally, governments have endorsed goals to halt and reverse the destruction of nature by 2030, with a full recovery of a resilient biosphere by 2050. The nature positive approach signifies a shift from merely minimising harm or impact on nature, towards actively and substantially restoring and promoting ecological health and resilience from a 2020 baseline.

Being nature positive means taking actions that restore and enhance the natural world. It involves developing policies and implementing practices that improve the health and well-being of ecosystems and biodiversity, to maximise ecosystem services provided by nature. It is important to recognise humans are part of this ecosystem and introduce a broad range of social and cultural aspects to any consideration of nature positive solutions.

Governments, consumers, investors, financiers and other stakeholders are increasingly demanding that businesses demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. This creates opportunities for those that take early, active steps to improve the health and well-being of ecosystems and biodiversity; and introduces enhanced risk and costs for those that do not.

How we assist

The nature positive space is rapidly evolving, driven by new legislation, global frameworks, and increasing expectations from financial institutions. The adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022 marked a significant step, urging countries to integrate biodiversity into national policies. Financial institutions are now expected to incorporate nature-related risks and opportunities into their strategies, with frameworks like the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) guiding these efforts.

As a global environmental consultancy, EMM can help clients stay ahead of the curve by providing expert guidance on compliance with emerging regulations, developing nature-positive strategies, and implementing sustainable practices. Our comprehensive approach enables businesses not only to meet regulatory requirements, but to further capitalise on new opportunities in the nature-positive economy.

Nature positive strategies can facilitate approval processes and foster stronger community support that is key to a project’s short and long-term success. We ensure the nature positive ethos is integrated into all aspects of your project as it progresses, identifying and exploring opportunities where they arise. Our team bring extensive experience and a collaborative, cross-disciplinary approach to help clients navigate the rapidly evolving nature positive landscape. With expertise across energy, infrastructure, and mining markets, we integrate the skills of ecologists, archaeologists, anthropologists, hydrologists, social scientists and strategic advisors to deliver tailored solutions that drive compliance, foster community support, and enhance project success. This improves project outcomes, de-risks approval issues and helps to save time and money.

Our services:

Strategic portfolio assessments and advice

  • Nature positive constraints and opportunities
  • Restoration feasibility studies
  • Biodiversity conservation
  • Water stewardship
  • Cultural heritage offsets and stewardship
  • Future land use options analysis
  • Fatal flaw and due diligence assessments
  • Biodiversity offset monitoring and reporting
  • Monitoring and evaluation against ESG goals
  • Independent environmental audits, environmental compliance reporting and due diligence

 

Technical expertise

  • Ecological services including terrestrial ecology, aquatic ecology, ecohydrology, ecotoxicology, restoration ecology
  • Aboriginal and cultural heritage, including Aboriginal stakeholder engagement
  • Contaminated land and soil science
  • Surface water and groundwater modelling and impact assessments
  • Social impact assessment
  • Acoustics, Air Quality, Climate and Spatial Solutions

Planning approval and assessment services

  • Approval strategy considering nature positive opportunities
  • Constraints assessments that consider nature positive related project risk and opportunities
  • Preliminary offsets strategy to identify opportunities to avoid and minimise impacts as part of project design
  • Offset site assessments using remote sensing and weighted data tools to identify and prioritise potential restoration sites
  • Ecology and heritage assessments, including incorporating traditional ecological knowledge and practices, cultural burning and cultural values mapping
  • Aquatic ecology assessments; groundwater-dependent ecosystem surveys and impact assessment
  • Threatened species habitat assessment and habitat modelling
  • Vegetation mapping and floristic plots; high risk trigger mapping protected plant surveys
  • Fauna-sensitive road design; targeted threatened flora and fauna surveys
  • Biodiversity offset credit and cost calculations; biodiversity & offset management plans
  • Social impact and benefit analysis, social risk management and shared value outcomes
  • Community development program design and delivery

 

We bring innovative approaches to approvals strategies, impact assessment, cumulative assessments, as well as the communication of complex scientific matters.

We tailor our approach to the specific needs of the client and the demands of the project. Our team establishes constructive, collaborative and integrated relationships with our clients, built on professionalism, integrity and responsiveness. This approach allows us to deliver optimal solutions for our clients.

 

Meet our team

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