• Biodiversity

As businesses face growing expectations to address their impacts on nature, governments are increasingly supporting efforts to integrate biodiversity into corporate decision-making. In Japan, the Aichi Prefectural Government has been running the Nature-Positive Management Promotion Seminars since February 2024, helping companies better understand biodiversity, natural capital, and nature-positive management while encouraging alignment with international biodiversity frameworks.

The private sector plays an increasingly important role in addressing biodiversity loss. From supply chains to land use and resource consumption, corporate activities shape the health of ecosystems around the world.  

In Japan’s leading industrial region, the Aichi Prefectural Government is working to bridge the gap between global biodiversity goals and local business practices. Through a series of seminars launched in 2024, the prefecture is helping companies better understand the links between natural capital, economic activity, and sustainable management. The Nature Positive Management Promotion seminar initiative aims to encourage businesses to adopt nature-positive management approaches, aligning corporate practices with international biodiversity frameworks while strengthening environmental stewardship at the regional level. 

Bringing biodiversity into business decision-making 

Aichi Prefectural Government is one of Japan’s most important industrial centers, home to a large concentration of manufacturing companies, including many small and medium-sized enterprises. While these businesses are essential to regional economic development, they may have limited access to information about how biodiversity and ecosystem services affect their operations. 

To address this gap, the prefectural government organized seminars for businesses focused on nature-positive management. The seminars provide participants with opportunities to: 

• Learn about international biodiversity policy developments and emerging expectations for the private sector 

• Understand the concept of natural capital and its relevance to business risks and opportunities 

• Explore ways to minimize negative environmental impacts associated with business activities 

• Identify practical steps toward more sustainable production and management practices 

While the seminars focus primarily on awareness and knowledge sharing, the initiative also seeks to inspire concrete changes in business practices. 

To evaluate the effectiveness of the program, the prefectural government is considering monitoring indicators such as: 

• Participant satisfaction with the seminars 

• Changes in business behavior following participation 

These indicators will help assess whether the seminars are successfully encouraging businesses to adopt nature-positive practices and integrate biodiversity considerations into their activities. 

Supporting businesses in a changing global landscape 

The initiative responds to growing international momentum encouraging businesses to assess and reduce their biodiversity-related impacts. The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) highlights the role of the private sector in biodiversity conservation, particularly through Target 15, which calls on companies to assess, disclose, and reduce biodiversity-related risks and negative impacts. 

Through its seminar program, Aichi Prefectural Government is helping businesses anticipate these global expectations and begin integrating biodiversity considerations into their operations. 

The initiative is particularly targeted toward small and medium-sized enterprises in the machinery manufacturing sector, which forms the backbone of Aichi’s regional economy. By engaging these companies early, the prefecture aims to ensure that biodiversity considerations become part of everyday business decision-making. 

Lessons from early implementation 

Aichi’s experience highlights several important insights for advancing biodiversity action at the subnational level: 

• Regional governments can act quickly to translate international biodiversity trends into local action. 

• Small and medium-sized enterprises benefit from accessible information and guidance to understand how biodiversity relates to their operations. 

• Dialogue between governments and businesses can help accelerate the adoption of nature-positive practices. 

By creating spaces for learning and exchange, regional initiatives such as this help businesses navigate emerging expectations while strengthening environmental stewardship across economic sectors. Overall, the initiative represents an important step in building stronger connections between biodiversity policy and the private sector at the regional level. 

Why this matters for COP17  

Achieving the goals of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework will require action not only from governments but also from the private sector. Regional authorities are uniquely positioned to support this transition by working directly with businesses operating within their territories. 

Aichi Prefectural Government’s Nature Positive Management Promotion Seminar initiative demonstrates how subnational governments can engage companies in biodiversity action, helping translate global commitments into concrete local practices. 

As preparations advance for COP17, experiences like Aichi’s show that empowering businesses with knowledge, tools, and dialogue opportunities can play an important role in advancing nature-positive economies. 

By connecting international biodiversity goals with local industry, Aichi Prefectural Government is helping ensure that economic development and ecosystem protection move forward together. 

GBF targets addressed: 14, 15. 
Focus area: Private sector engagement; Nature-positive economy; Capacity building; Regional policy; Biodiversity awareness. 

Read more: 

• https://www.pref.aichi.jp/press-release/2025npm-seminar.html 

• https://www.pref.aichi.jp/soshiki/shizen/npm.html

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