A landmark report from Lloyd’s Register Foundation and the International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI) is urging the engineering profession to adopt “nature-positive” practices to halt biodiversity loss and create long-term economic benefits.
The Foresight of Nature-Positive Engineering review warns that more than 50% of global GDP — roughly $44 trillion — is moderately or highly dependent on ecosystem services that are now under unprecedented pressure. With extinction rates estimated at 100 to 1,000 times higher than the historical average, the report argues that infrastructure development can no longer be treated as separate from nature.
Instead, it sets out a blueprint for “nature-positive engineering” (NPE): actively protecting, restoring and enhancing natural systems to deliver measurable ecological gains while still meeting human needs. “Engineering has long driven human progress, but it has also contributed to ecological degradation, biodiversity loss and climate instability,” said Savina Carluccio, ICSI’s Executive Director and author of the report. “Today, engineers have both a responsibility and an opportunity to become stewards of the natural systems we all depend on. This demands a fundamental shift — from viewing nature as a constraint to recognising it as a critical ally in achieving human and planetary well-being.”
NPE has already shown promise in marine and coastal environments. Examples cited include “living shorelines” reinforced with native vegetation, marine protection structures enhanced with ecological features, and “fish hotels” incorporated within offshore wind farms to provide refuge for marine life. The report calls for scaling these solutions up across ports, offshore renewable energy and coastal protection — and eventually to land-based infrastructure as well.
Three key recommendations are outlined to accelerate adoption:
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Create an enabling environment through policy and integrated planning.
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Launch a technical toolkit to build capacity among engineers and students.
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Establish a global NPE alliance to share knowledge and showcase best practice.
Jan Przydatek, Director of Technologies at Lloyd’s Register Foundation, emphasised that infrastructure does not have to come at the expense of biodiversity. “It’s time to go beyond carbon-neutral infrastructure that minimises harm to fundamentally transform the way we approach the built environment for the next generation,” he said.
With three quarters of the infrastructure expected by 2050 still to be built, the report frames nature-positive engineering as not only a way to prevent ecosystem collapse but also to unlock major economic opportunities.
The Foundation is inviting engineers and organisations to join its growing community of practice on nature-positive approaches and safer, sustainable infrastructures. The full Foresight of Nature-Positive Engineering review can be downloaded from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation website.
