From Insights to Action: Mainstreaming Nature-Positive Engineering Through Global Collaboration at New York Climate Week

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Infrastructure will play a defining role in shaping the trajectory of nature and biodiversity decline, a crisis that represents an existential threat to human wellbeing and economic prosperity. Around 75% of the infrastructure that will exist by 2050 has yet to be built, presenting a valuable opportunity to rethink how infrastructure is planned, designed and delivered. Engineers shape infrastructure systems, ensuring they are safe, functional, fit for purpose, and meet the needs of society. Yet conventional engineering approaches continue to contribute to biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation and climate risk, despite growing recognition that healthy natural systems are fundamental to resilient infrastructure and long-term economic prosperity.

Nature Positive Engineering (NPE) is an emerging approach that goes beyond minimising environmental harm to proactively protecting, restoring, and enhancing natural ecosystems through engineering practice. Rather than treating nature as a constraint, it positions ecosystems as critical infrastructure that underpins resilience, safety and long-term asset performance.

The benefits of NPE go beyond enhanced biodiversity. Analysis suggests that transitioning to a nature-positive economy could generate $10.1 trillion in business opportunities and create nearly 395 million jobs by 2030. Building with nature across infrastructure systems can also support resilience through asset protection, lower lifecycle costs, lower maintenance intensity, improved environmental and social outcomes.

Launched during Climate Week NYC 2025, the Nature-Positive Engineering Foresight Review established a shared vision for how engineering can contribute to biodiversity recovery and climate resilience. One year on, this CWNYC 2026 event will bring together leaders from across engineering, academia, finance and conservation to reflect on the way forward and explore the systemic changes that are required to mainstream nature-positive engineering worldwide.