Across Europe, this summer’s extreme heat and wildfires brought the vulnerability of the continent’s ecosystems into sharp focus. Beyond the immediate human and economic toll, fires can destroy and fragment habitats, disrupt ecosystems and put already vulnerable species under further pressure. The events offered a timely reminder that climate and biodiversity risks are closely intertwined.
Europeans are calling for action. Eight in ten EU citizens consider biodiversity loss a serious problem and 96% agree that we all have a responsibility to protect nature.
For many years, biodiversity has largely been regarded as a conservation issue, divorced from everyday business decisions. Today, that perspective is changing. The extreme heat in 2026 could cost EU economies around €180 billion this year, or roughly 1% of GDP.
This is a stark reminder that the European economy is one of the most nature-dependent in the world, with construction, agriculture, and food and beverages the three largest industries that depend most on nature.
In the European Union, 3 million companies, representing 75% of bank loans in the euro area, are highly dependent on at least one ecosystem service to produce their goods or provide their services, and ¾ of crops depend on pollinators.
The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme has become a tool to simultaneously strengthen the foundations of business and deliver measurable environmental improvements. Across Europe, EMAS-registered organisations are encapsulating biodiversity conservation and restoration principles into management systems.
Nature is a business priority
Europe’s biodiversity is under significant pressure. Habitat degradation, pollution, climate change, invasive species and unsustainable resources and land use are accelerating the decline of the ecosystems that underpin core economic activity. At the same time, global supply chains contribute to biodiversity loss through land-use change and resource extraction, often far beyond the immediate boundaries of a company’s operations.
As ecosystems weaken, businesses face growing operational and financial risks. What was once viewed primarily as a conservation issue is now attracting the attention of boardrooms and investors alike. For companies, protecting nature is essential for their future competitiveness.
Regulatory developments are reinforcing this shift. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires many companies to assess and disclose material environmental impacts, including biodiversity where relevant. Meanwhile, the EU Nature Restoration Regulation established legally binding restoration targets across Member States, signaling that ecosystem recovery is a priority of Europe’s sustainability agenda.
Against this backdrop, EMAS provides organisations with a practical way to identify biodiversity impacts, set measurable objectives, monitor progress and continuously improve their environmental performance. As of September 2025, 4,141 organisations and 16,154 sites were registered across the EU.
Making room for restoration ecosystems through action on-site
One of the most visible ways organisations contribute to biodiversity is by improving the ecosystems directly connected to their own operations. Industrial sites, production facilities and business premises all interact with surrounding landscapes, creating opportunities to restore habitats and the ecological connectivity within.
Rather than viewing operational sites as isolated from nature, many EMAS organisations are redesigning them to generate positive environmental outcomes.
Food processing company Hero España offers one example of how biodiversity restoration can be factored into industrial activities. Working with the Municipality of Alcantarilla in the Murcia region and the environmental association ANSE, the company is helping restore the banks of the River Segura by removing the invasive giant reed and replacing it with native trees and 200 shrubs on the riverbank adjacent to the plant, creating better conditions for local habitats and pollinator populations to recover. The project is expected to reduce water consumption through lower evapotranspiration, saving an estimated 2.8 million litres of water annually and to sequester around 160 tonnes of CO₂ over a 40-year period.
The River Segura project shows that biodiversity action does not need to happen far away from business operations. With the right approach, industrial sites can become part of the solution.
Following biodiversity from the ground up to supply chains
For many organisations, the most significant biodiversity impacts occur beyond the boundaries of their own sites. Agricultural production, forestry, mining and raw material sourcing all influence ecosystems across global value chains, making supply chain management a critical element of biodiversity protection.
This is particularly true for the food sector, where land conversion, intensive farming practices, water use and changes in agricultural landscapes can place pressure on ecosystems. At the same time, food production depends directly on nature.
EMAS encourages organisations to look beyond their direct operations by identifying environmental impacts across their value chain. This broader perspective helps engage suppliers, promote sustainable sourcing practices and integrate biodiversity considerations into procurement decisions.
HiPP demonstrates how biodiversity can become a corporate priority throughout agricultural supply chains. As one of the first major food manufacturers in Europe to introduce EMAS, the company has used environmental management as a foundation for continuous improvement. Since joining the scheme, HiPP has significantly reduced its environmental footprint, including slashing water consumption by two-thirds and reducing consumption by more than 50%. HiPP has placed biodiversity at the centre of its approach to sustainable agriculture by supporting heritage crop varieties and promoting pollinator-friendly farming practices. In so doing, the company is at once strengthening the resilience of business and of those ecosystems it relies on, contributing to more stable food production over the long term.
From waste to wealth: putting nature into the loop
Nature works in cycles and businesses are learning to do the same.
Circular economy approaches reduce pressure on natural ecosystems by keeping materials in use, minimising waste and restoring environmental quality.
Within EMAS, organisations increasingly integrate biodiversity objectives alongside circular economy principles, recognising that efficient resource management and ecosystem health are mutually reinforcing.
Italian company Progeva points to a systems-based approach, unveiled in this EMAS success story. The company transforms organic waste, including agri-food residues and livestock waste, into high-quality compost. That is how discarded materials are reclaimed into useful input. As Progeva describes it, the process turns “waste into nourishment”.
Compost restores soil fertility by replenishing organic matter and nutrients, while reducing waste sent to landfills. Additionally, it’s a boon for climate change mitigation: compost promotes carbon sequestration by storing stable carbon compounds in the soil.
Located in the southern region of Apulia, the company has the capacity to treat about 100,000 tonnes of organic waste annually. Alongside compost production, the company generates over 4.6 million cubic metres of biomethane per year, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 66% compared to fossil fuel.
Healthy soils support diverse microorganisms, while improving water retention and resilience to climate-related pressures. Through circular resource management, businesses can therefore generate environmental benefits that extend far beyond waste reduction.
No longer a standalone environmental initiative
Biodiversity is moving away from the margins of sustainability discussions into the heart of business decisions. EMAS allows your activity to stay ahead of the curve. With independently verified data and a culture of continuous improvement, EMAS-registered organisations are primed to respond to growing expectations from consumers and buyers. Protecting nature is a marker of resilience: the future belongs to businesses that understand this simple truth.
If your organisation is looking to strengthen its environmental performance, explore how EMAS can support your biodiversity journey and join the EU Business and Biodiversity platform, through which businesses can learn about the importance of biodiversity and develop strategies to move towards a nature-positive future, benefiting both their operations and the planet.
Already part of the EMAS community? Discover additional sector-specific tools, guidance, reports and upcoming events to continue advancing your environmental management efforts.
- Publication date
- 31 August 2026
- Author
- Directorate-General for Environment