"From Shared Diagnosis to Stronger Strategy", 1 July 2026

Nature is rapidly becoming a legal and governance issue for business. But the ecosystem engaged in legal work to hold companies accountable for nature harms remains fragmented and under-resourced.

Our new research identifies where this ecosystem is making progress, where the gaps remain, and how funders can help strengthen its impact...

KEY FINDINGS

1. Clear opportunities for advancing legal strategies for nature...
2. Blind spots and weaker consensus in critical areas...
3. Lack of enforcement of existing laws – a significant barrier...
4. A clear funding gap exists...
5. Funders prioritise hard-law approaches, while implementers favour a broader mix...
6. Progress needed around legal remedy, compensation and apology...

Our conclusion: the legal ecosystem working to protect nature is active and experienced, but fragmented, underfunded and not yet translating progress into justice for the people and places that need it most...

NEXT STEPS

1. Enforcement of existing legal frameworks and remedy...
2. Expansion of funding and priorities...
3. Rule of law and institutional integrity...
4. Ecosystem orchestration...
5. Evidence and networks...