Research Article: Locke, H., Rockström, J., Plowright, R. K., Laffoley, D., Bear, L. L., Peres, C. A., Wei, F., Karanth, K. K., Zemke, L., Seetal, R., & Hauer, F. R. (2026b). Nature Positive: halting and reversing biodiversity loss toward restoring Earth system stability. Frontiers in Science, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsci.2026.1609998

Blog Author: Shreya Ray

Key highlights: 

• 54% of ecoregions are severely degraded, while an additional 25% are undergoing further degradation.
• Over 200 medical journals now recommend climate change and biodiversity loss as a single, indivisible global health crisis.
• The “Nature Positive” goal aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and achieve full ecological recovery by 2050.
• The Three Conditions approach emphasizes the protection of intact ecosystems. Scaling both public and private investment, alongside valuing natural capital, is imperative to protect forests, support Indigenous communities, and reverse ecosystem degradation.
• Achieving a Nature Positive future requires transforming economies to operate within ecological limits, not alongside them.

This blog draws on our latest publication exploring Nature Positive pathways to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. We are living through a turning point in Earth’s history. Since the mid-20th century, human activity has pushed the natural world to its limits, so much so that scientists now call this era the Anthropocene. Forests are disappearing, oceans are warming, species are vanishing, and ecosystems are breaking down. What was once a stable planet is now being nudged toward a “Hothouse Earth.” And this isn’t happening in isolation. The same natural systems we are destabilizing are the ones that support human life. Rivers that sustain agriculture, oceans that regulate climate, and forests that stabilize rainfall patterns are all under stress. Coral reefs are dying as oceans warm and acidify. Climate change is amplifying every one of these impacts.

Biodiversity loss is unfolding across three deeply connected layers: species, ecosystems, and the natural processes that sustain them. When one begins to fail, the others follow. Today, 48% of vertebrate and insect species are in decline, 6% of species are losing genetic diversity, and 54% of ecoregions are severely degraded. This is no longer just an environmental issue. It’s a systems crisis.

The consequences are already rippling outward into food security, global health, and economic stability. As ecosystems break down, the risk of zoonotic diseases increases. Food systems become more fragile. Even mental health is affected, with rising levels of eco-anxiety worldwide. In fact, over 200 medical journals have called on world leaders to treat climate change and biodiversity loss as one indivisible crisis.

So where do we go from here? A growing body of research points toward a powerful idea: a “Nature Positive” future.
At its core, Nature Positive means halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030 and setting the planet on a path to full ecological recovery by 2050. It’s not just about slowing damage; it’s about actively restoring the systems we depend on. This idea to integrate this into global has begun particularly through the Montreal-Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022. However, gaps in policy, such as the lack of attention to large-scale natural processes and incomplete integration across climate and biodiversity agreements point to the remaining of significant structural and implementation challenges.

In this article, the authors highlight three key shifts we need: rethinking our economies so they work with nature, not against it; measuring success in ways that reflect the full complexity of biodiversity; and recognising the critical role of Indigenous and local knowledge systems.

It also challenges a common assumption in the sustainable development goals’ framework: that economic, social, and environmental goals can all be balanced equally. In reality, they can’t. Human society and the economy do not sit alongside nature; they exist within it. Without a functioning Earth system, there is no food, no water, no stability. The authors argue for a fundamental reframing: the environment is the foundation, not just another pillar. This perspective becomes even more striking when we look at Earth’s history.

The Holocene, the relatively stable period in which human civilisations flourished, provided the environmental conditions that made modern societies possible.Today, we are drifting away from that stability. But there is still a pathway back: reducing emissions, protecting intact ecosystems, and transforming harmful activities into regenerative ones. So how do we act on this?

One promising approach is the Three Conditions Framework, which recognizes that not all landscapes are the same: In heavily modified areas like cities and farms (C1 – ~18% of land), the focus should be on restoration. In shared landscapes (C2 – ~55%), conservation must coexist with sustainable use. And, In largely untouched regions (C3 – ~ 26%), strict protection is essential. This is not a one-size-fits-all solution, it is a framework that responds to different landscapes differently. And one message comes through clearly: protection first, alongside restoration where needed. Once ecosystems collapse, recovery is slow, uncertain, and difficult.

But transforming our relationship with nature also means changing how we value it. For too long, natural systems have been treated as free and limitless. The concept of natural capital challenges this by recognizing that ecosystems provide measurable economic value, from clean water to climate regulation. Frameworks like the UN’s Environmental-Economic Accounting systems are beginning to capture this value, helping countries make more informed decisions.

Still, public funding alone won’t be enough. Mobilizing private investment will be critical. Initiatives like the Tropical Forest Forever Facility aim to unlock $125 billion to protect forests, support Indigenous communities, and create long-term financial incentives for conservation. A Nature Positive world will only be possible if we fundamentally transform the economic systems that shape our decisions. This means creating an enabling environment where financial incentives, business practices, and innovation all work in favor of nature. Intact ecosystems must become investable, supported by both public and private investment in conservation, alongside stronger alignment of government actions across global treaties.

At the same time, global policy still has gaps, especially when it comes to protecting large-scale natural processes like migration and hydrology. These invisible systems are essential to the planet’s stability yet often overlooked. Ultimately, a Nature Positive future is not just a technical challenge-it is a transformation.

It asks us to rethink how our economies function, how decisions are made, and what we value as progress. It calls for aligning finance with ecology, respecting Indigenous knowledge, and prioritizing long-term planetary health over short-term gains.

Because at its heart, this is not just about saving nature. It’s about securing the future of life, ours included.

To access the original article, click here.

Keywords: biodiversity, climate change, Global Biodiversity Framework, nature positive