8.7 million species share this planet with us. Most of them haven’t even been named yet.

Seventy-five percent of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators.

Over half of global GDP, roughly $44 trillion, is moderately or highly dependent on nature and its services.

South Africa is one of only 17 megadiverse countries on Earth. The Cape Floristic Region alone holds more plant species than the entire United Kingdom.

And yet, one million species are currently threatened with extinction, disappearing at a rate estimated to be 1,000 times faster than the natural background rate.

Biodiversity is not only a conservation issue. In reality it is our life support.

Many businesses consider biodiversity as important but leave the responsibility for it to conservationists, regulators or national parks. It’s something to support through CSI budgets or mention in sustainability reports but not something that directly affects operations, margins or strategy.

That assumption is a blind spot in modern business because biodiversity is not an external issue. It is a core enabler for business operations.

Nature keeps the lights on

Every business, whether it recognises it or not, runs on ecosystem services. 

Clean water does not appear in a factory pipe by accident. It is filtered and regulated by ecosystems upstream. Soil fertility is not guaranteed; it is built over time through biological processes. Pollination, which underpins global food systems, is performed by insects and animals that are increasingly under pressure. Even climate stability, the baseline condition for predictable operations, is regulated in large part by forests, oceans, and biodiversity-rich landscapes.

When those systems degrade, the impact shows up in very practical ways. Water becomes scarcer or more expensive to treat. Agricultural yields become less predictable. Supply chains face disruption as raw materials become harder to source. Extreme weather events increase in frequency and severity, affecting infrastructure and logistics.

In other words, when biodiversity declines, business costs rise.

This is already visible in sectors that are closely tied to natural systems. Agriculture is the most obvious example, but it is far from the only one. Mining operations depend on stable water supplies and land rehabilitation. Tourism relies on intact ecosystems and wildlife. 

Renewable energy projects are increasingly assessed for their ecological footprint. Construction depends on land use and environmental approvals. Retail supply chains are exposed through sourcing. Even financial services are beginning to price nature-related risk into lending and investment decisions.

The rules are changing

Globally, expectations around biodiversity disclosure are tightening. Frameworks and standards are evolving to include nature-related risks and impacts alongside financial risks. What was once voluntary is quickly becoming expected, particularly for companies operating in high-impact sectors or biodiversity-sensitive regions.

This shift is not being driven by regulation alone. It is also coming from investors, insurers, and lenders who are increasingly aware that nature-related risks can translate into financial losses. A disrupted supply chain, a revoked operating licence, or a reputational crisis linked to environmental damage all have direct economic consequences.

Businesses that wait for formal regulation before acting are likely to find themselves on the back foot. Biodiversity is following a similar trajectory to climate: early movers build capability and credibility, while late adopters scramble to catch up under pressure.

Getting ahead of this does not require perfection. It requires awareness, intent and a willingness to start integrating biodiversity into risk assessments and reporting processes. That might mean understanding where your operations intersect with sensitive ecosystems, mapping dependencies in your supply chain, or beginning to track basic indicators related to land use, water and habitat impact.

Stakeholders are paying attention

Investors are asking more pointed questions about environmental impact beyond carbon. Funders want to understand not just where a business operates, but what it affects. Clients are increasingly factoring sustainability into procurement decisions. Employees too, are paying attention, especially in sectors competing for skilled talent.

Stakeholders are not necessarily expecting every business to have all the answers. But they do expect evidence that the question has been taken seriously. Where are your operations located? What ecosystems do they interact with? What risks does that create? What steps are being taken to manage or mitigate those risks?

These are becoming standard due diligence questions for doing business. .

And for South African businesses, the bar is arguably higher. Operating in one of the most biologically rich regions in the world comes with both opportunity and responsibility. The same natural assets that support tourism, agriculture, and energy also heighten expectations around stewardship.

From awareness to action

The theme of this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity; “Acting Locally for Global Impact”, is useful framing for business.

No single company can solve biodiversity loss. But every company operates somewhere, sources from somewhere and has an impact somewhere. That is where action begins.

For some, it will mean rethinking land use or water management. For others, it may involve engaging suppliers, supporting ecosystem restoration, or simply improving how biodiversity-related data is tracked and reported. The specific actions will vary. The starting point is the same: recognising that biodiversity is part of the business system, not outside it.

Understanding your relationship with nature is one challenge. Explaining it clearly and credibly is another. Businesses need to move beyond vague commitments and towards disclosures that reflect real dependencies, real impacts, and real actions.

That is where SUSCO plays a role. Not just in capturing the data but helping businesses make sense of it–connecting the dots between operations, risk, and impact, and translating that into reporting that stakeholders can trust. The goal is not to tell a perfect story. It is to tell an honest, informed one.

Biodiversity is no longer someone else’s problem. It is a business issue.