In our latest blog post, we reflect on the value of the Biodiversity + Business Live event, held in Edinburgh in July.
On 15 July 2026, more than 100 representatives from business, government and civil society gathered at the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh for Biodiversity + Business Live. Co-hosted by JNCC, the UK Business and Biodiversity Forum (UKBBF) and NatureScot, the event brought together UK business leaders, senior government officials, scientists and conservation experts to advance collective action on biodiversity – and to build a credible UK business voice ahead of CBD COP17 in Armenia this October.
Morning: Working Dialogues
The morning programme opened with statements from Professor Colin Galbraith, Chair of NatureScot; Dr David Cooper, Chair of JNCC; and Mark Johnston, Director of UKBBF. Participants then explored three of the UKBBF’s seven Working Dialogues, each established in response to the IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment published in February 2026, with discussions focused on priority actions, barriers and enablers, and key messages for COP17.
Working Dialogue 1, Nature at the Board, called for biodiversity to be integrated into existing governance and reporting structures rather than treated as a standalone issue, with benchmarking and peer comparison identified as priorities for engaging directors. Working Dialogue 4, Enabling Environment for Businesses Post-2030, concluded that government policy is the primary driver of business behaviour, calling for reform of harmful subsidies, collective action on transboundary regulation, and longer-term economic thinking beyond annual budgets. Working Dialogue 6, Nature Across the Supply Chain, highlighted the opacity of supply chains and the language gap between ecologists and business, calling for standardised biodiversity questions for suppliers and stronger cross-government working.
Across all three, common threads emerged: the necessity of collaboration, the reframing of nature as central to long-term resilience rather than a cost, and the persistent gap between ambition and practical implementation.
Reflecting on the morning’s outcomes, Paul Harrison, Chair of the UKBBF, said: “We now have the strongest evidence base we have ever had, through the IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment. Through our Working Dialogues, we are translating that evidence into defined, tangible actions that businesses can implement. The focus for COP17 must be turning global science into national delivery: specific commitments, measurable outcomes, and a credible UK business voice at the table in Armenia in October.”
Afternoon: Keynote Speakers
The afternoon opened with three keynote addresses. Professor Mathew Williams, the Scottish Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser for Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, set out the scientific and policy context underpinning the day’s discussions. Dr Gemma Harper OBE, Chief Executive of JNCC, spoke on translating global evidence into national action, drawing direct links between the morning’s Working Dialogues and the practical delivery challenge facing government and business. Andy Howard, CEO of CSX Carbon, closed the session by making the case that nature-positive approaches can be a source of competitive advantage, not simply a compliance burden.
Catalysing Action
The first afternoon session brought together speakers demonstrating what nature-positive leadership looks like in practice. Andrew Jacobs from SSE Renewables spoke on embedding nature into energy operations, while Dr Hannah Rudman from the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital addressed aligning finance with nature-positive outcomes. Julia Baker from Mott MacDonald focused on delivering infrastructure that supports biodiversity, and Martin Cruickshank from Business for Nature offered an international perspective ahead of COP17. Together, the session illustrated the breadth of sectors already translating commitments into delivery — from energy and finance to infrastructure and international diplomacy.
Panel Debate
The day closed with a cross-sector panel debate chaired by Professor Colin Galbraith. Panellists Ceri Davies, Chief Executive of Natural Resources Wales, Neil Oliver, Deputy Head of Environmental Sustainability at Lloyds Bank, Jo Pike, Chief Executive of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, and Rachel Short, Senior Ecology Manager at Scottish Power Renewables, discussed the system-level changes needed to drive nature-positive action at scale. Questions from the floor brought the discussion from strategic principle to practical delivery.
Looking Ahead to COP17
Biodiversity + Business Live demonstrated the depth of appetite across UK business, government and civil society to move from evidence to action. The IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment has provided the scientific foundation; the Working Dialogues are translating it into practical commitments. The task now is to carry that momentum to Yerevan. JNCC, UKBBF and NatureScot will continue working with partners across all seven Working Dialogues to ensure the outcomes from Edinburgh shape a strong UK contribution at COP17.
You can find out more about the event in our short video (below):
For full outcomes from the Working Dialogues, visit the UKBBF outcomes page.
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