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ARTICLE · 22 APRIL 2026

Navigating Nature Risks: What General Counsel And Board Members Need To Know

Gowling WLG
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Nature-related risk has evolved from a specialist environmental concern into a mainstream organisational priority affecting governance, legal compliance, and long-term value.

United KingdomEnvironment
Ben Stansfield
Ben Stansfield
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Nature-related risk is moving rapidly up board agendas. Once seen as a specialist environmental issue, nature risks are now a mainstream organisational risk, affecting governance, legal compliance, operational resilience and long-term value. For General Counsel (GCs) and Directors, the focus has shifted from understanding why nature matters to assessing, overseeing and responding to nature-related risk in a strategic way.

More than half of global GDP — around $44 trillion — depends directly on nature, yet biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation are already disrupting supply chains and exposing businesses to legal and reputational risk. This article explores why nature risks are now a business priority, the changing legal and regulatory landscape, the focus on developing nature-related opportunities and key considerations for in-house teams.

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