Becoming Nature Positive book now free to read online

London/Geneva, 17 September 2025: The world’s first book about Nature Positive is now available to read for free online under the Creative Commons Open Access license. Published by Routledge Earthscan in June 2025 and written by a diverse range of sustainability thought leaders, Becoming Nature Positive: Transitioning to a Safe and Just Future provides an in-depth description of how the Nature Positive global goal came to be, why it matters – and what it will take to achieve it across business, finance, governance and society.

Nature Positive is a global societal goal to halt and reverse nature loss, agreed by all countries in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP15) in 2022. The goal means ensuring there is more nature in the world tomorrow than today, for the benefit of each of us and all life on Earth. But transitioning to a nature-positive society and economy requires deep changes in the way we think of ourselves in the world, live our lives and run our economy. 

As humanity sits at an existential crossroads, Becoming Nature Positive: Transitioning to a Safe and Just Future articulates why a nature-positive future is the only way to secure the functioning and stability of Earth systems essential to the survival and wellbeing of present and future human generations – as well as the rest of Earth’s amazing diversity of life.

Marco Lambertini, Convener of the Nature Positive Initiative, and lead author and commissioning editor of Becoming Nature Positive, said: 

“Nature Positive is our best response to the great, existential threat of planetary health collapse, and our best plan to transition to a safe and just future. The overall message across all chapters of Becoming Nature Positive is one of action, change and extraordinary opportunity – and I am delighted to make this book available for everyone to read online free of charge. It was imperative to us that the book’s 360° scan of critical content and ideas should be freely available to anyone around the world, regardless of age or background. My wish is for as many people as possible – anyone who cares about a sustainable future – to take this opportunity to learn about Nature Positive and be inspired to take action in their lives at work and at home in any way they can. The future can be bright. The choice is ours. The choice is clear.”

To download your free Open Access digital copy of Becoming Nature Positive, follow the link on the book page here. You may also download standalone graphics (in color and black and white) and individual chapters from the book here under ‘support material’.

Please feel encouraged to write a review of the book on social media, in opinion articles, or through whichever platform you purchase or access your books. 

QUOTES FROM CHAPTER AUTHORS

Joseph W. Bull, Associate Professor of Climate Change Biology, University of Oxford, and author of the chapter ‘The Science of Nature Positive’, said: 

“Nature Positive is a lofty goal, but it will only be achieved if our efforts towards it are concrete and grounded in the best available science. We have many years of relevant research available to draw upon, and in my chapter, I explore how there has been a recent explosion of papers building on this to explore Nature Positive explicitly.”

Harvey Locke, co-founder of ‘From Yellowstone to Yukon’ conservation initiative, and lead author of the chapter ‘Building a Nature-Positive Society’, said:

“Nature Positive is an idea that works across cultures, as our chapter sets out. Rooted in many traditions and in western science, it sets a shared direction of travel with clear milestones for all of humanity to successfully navigate one of the great challenges of our time – halting and reversing the loss of nature.”

This chapter was co-written with Leroy Little Bear, Éliane Ubalijoro, Brigitte Baptiste and Fuwen Wei.

Eva Zabey, CEO, Business for Nature, and author of the chapter ‘The Role of Business in a Nature-Positive Economy’, said: 

“Business must reinvent itself – not to simply do less harm, but to protect, restore and sustainably manage nature. My chapter reveals how. It’s a call to action and a roadmap for leaders ready to evolve capitalism and build resilience and value for people and the planet.”

Dorothy Maseke, Head, African Natural Capital Alliance, and author of the chapter ‘Nature-Positive Finance’, said: 

“This book is a call to reimagine our relationship with nature and rewire the global financial system to serve both people and planet. Finance flows must shift at scale and in ways that are inclusive, equitable and rooted in the lived realities of people everywhere, for a future where finance is used as a catalyst for regeneration, resilience and shared prosperity.”

Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO, Global Environment Facility, and author of the chapter ‘Nature-Positive Governance’, said: 

“This important publication guides us in how to transition from nature negative to nature positive across sectors of society. Public institutions have so far failed to take us on a clear and effective path towards sustainability. We need a new paradigm for organizing the management of natural resources, and my chapter sets out how.” 

This chapter was co-written by Sonja Sabita Teelucksingh.

BOOK ENDORSEMENTS AND FOREWORD

From the Foreword to Becoming Nature Positive by André Hoffmann, Vice Chairman, Roche; Member, Club of Rome; and former Vice President, WWF International:

“What is ‘Nature Positive’, and why does it matter so much that you should read a book about it? … Nature is the life-support system of Earth and, therefore, that of all of humanity and the living world. Taking care of nature means taking care of our global commons, of ourselves, and of future generations – humans, flora, and fauna alike.”

Iván Duque Márquez, Former President of Colombia, said:

“The authors have written a fascinating and necessary book, tackling the urgency of defining critical steps and actions needed to protect our nature and ecosystems. They do so by proposing practical nature-based solutions and inviting a sense of collective urgency. This is a book that every nature lover and anyone committed to a sustainable future should read.”

Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer and Founder of Mission Blue, said:

“Never before have the consequences of nature’s decline been more obvious and the need for change more urgent; never again will there be a better time to protect and restore what remains of the living systems that make our existence possible. Bravo to the authors for clearly articulating in Becoming Nature Positive how everyone, everywhere, can be a part of the transition from steadily losing the natural systems that underpin our existence, and tip toward treating nature as if our lives depend on it – because they do.”

– – – ENDS – – –

NOTES TO EDITORS

• Media contact: For more information, comment or interviews, please reach out to Gemma Parkes | gparkes@naturepositive.org | +41 79 253 6386
• Learn more, including list of all contributors, in the book flyer and on the book page of our website

About the Nature Positive Initiative 

The Nature Positive Initiative gathers some of the world’s largest sustainable business and finance coalitions; standards, disclosure and targets frameworks; global conservation organizations; and science, subnational governance and Indigenous knowledge networks, to drive alignment around use of the term ‘nature positive’ and support broader, longer-term efforts to deliver nature-positive outcomes. The Nature Positive Initiative is reinforced by the Nature Positive Forum, a group of more than 300 organizations and institutions that have committed to uphold the definition of Nature Positive by 2030 and pursue action to secure a nature positive world. Those interested in joining can apply to the Forum here – or subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated.