Towards transformative ecosystem restoration governance: Exploring the potential of a nature positive purpose ecosystem

Research on biodiversity governance and especially the restoration of natural ecosystems highlights the role of international agreements and national regulatory mechanisms. In particular, there is growing attention to the concept of becoming “nature positive.”

In parallel, there is strong recognition that business has long been a major driver of biodiversity loss and ecosystem depletion, yet its role in restoration governance remains underexplored relative to its impacts. Recent work on business responses to the biodiversity crisis has expanded across sectoral analyses, accounting and reporting practices, voluntary initiatives, and regenerative approaches.

This paper examines how different governance mechanisms—rules, goals, and norms—seek to promote the restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems. Drawing on secondary data analysis, we map and analyse different governance efforts as differentiated steering mechanisms affecting particularly business and investment decisions and behaviours.

By illustrating their evolution and interactions, our paper contributes to research and knowledge by critically analysing the landscape on biodiversity governance mechanisms. This exploration provides novel empirical evidence on the state and trends of relevant steering mechanisms of relevance to stakeholders concerned about the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem integrity. This is important because understanding which governance mechanisms are at play, their relative prevalence and influence is of critical concern for decision makers in both business and policy.

Conceptually, our research also advances knowledge on the growing recognition of “purpose ecosystems” as potential new governance approaches for complex sustainability challenges. Our findings suggest that rule-, goal- and norm-based governance efforts may complement each other by providing the respective foundations and feedback mechanisms needed to translate and diversify implementation pathways. In doing so, our research contributes to empirical and conceptual perspectives on the need for viewing different governance mechanisms collectively through the systemic lens of purpose-driven governance ecosystems. Understanding whether and how such purpose ecosystems can be developed and fostered is essential for assessing their effectiveness, impact and limitations, both for ecosystem restoration and other systemic sustainability challenges, such as those covered by the planetary boundaries framework.