Governments have a significant role in creating an enabling environment for a capitals approach and safeguarding biodiversity. By facilitating a dialogue, governments from around the world can share best practices strengthen their enabling role.

This paper explains the What, Why and How? of natural capital for biodiversity policy, discussing what natural capital is, why it is relevant for biodiversity policy, and how it can help to achieve the global goals to be carbon-neutral and nature-positive. It is written to inform leaders, policymakers and decision-makers that are negotiating a new deal for nature and people in the context of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) and the 26th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change in 2021.

The paper features more than 60 examples from policymakers applying a capitals approach to take more informed decisions and help reverse biodiversity loss. These examples testify the power of framing nature as an asset to promote better understanding of threats to and people’s needs of nature, as well as provide a compelling library of best practices to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and mainstream nature into the policies of governments, business and finance institutions.

This paper was produced as part of our Government Dialogue on Natural Capital project.