Australia's Push for 'Nature Positive': Challenges and Opportunities

Australia is striving to embed 'nature positive' ideas into environmental policies, aiming for more nature in the future than exists now. This involves ensuring absolute net gains in biodiversity, effective enforcement, and avoiding inadequate conservation payments. Success is crucial amidst escalating biodiversity losses and environmental challenges.

Australia is taking significant steps towards realizing 'nature positive' future, an initiative aiming to ensure there will be more natural environments moving forward than at present. This week, a global biodiversity summit convenes in Colombia, while Australia continues its efforts amidst political and business resistance.

Currently, the focus is on creating absolute gains in biodiversity rather than merely relative ones. For example, developers like those impacting koala populations must offset negative impacts by ensuring the overall increase of species across sites.

There are critical discussions on conservation payments and their efficacy, as developers might resort to payouts rather than direct actions that protect habitats. Moreover, Australia's nature-positive pathways require robust enforcement and tangible commitments to make a substantial difference globally.

(With inputs from agencies.)