Birds fly around metal pipes and machinery.
A Dow Chemical plant Dow is working with TNC to demonstrate that protecting nature can be both a global business strategy and a company priority. © Jennifer Molnar/TNC

Transforming Business Practices

Dow

Incorporating the Value of Nature into Business Strategy

In 2011, The Nature Conservancy and Dow set out together to achieve an ambitious goal: demonstrating that building nature’s value into business strategy could lead to better outcomes for companies and conservation.

We have not only helped build the case for why businesses should invest in nature; we have developed the tools and practices to assess business projects as they relate to nature.

Highlights include: 

  • Research showing that forests could be used to reduce air pollution and that natural solutions could help protect business assets from storm damage and mitigate risks associated with a water shortages.
  • The collaboration developed the ESII Tool, designed to help corporate, government, and organization decision makers rapidly assess the value of nature to a business or community.

This work is an example of how companies and organizations from different sectors can work together to make real change happen. We hope our efforts can serve as a model for how other companies can incorporate nature into their business practices and increase investment in protecting nature’s valuable resources.

Our work has earned recognition from groups like the American Chemistry Council for its innovative approach to tackling global sustainability challenges. To learn more about the latest accomplishments of the collaboration between The Nature Conservancy and Dow, please see our reports below.