Motivations and organizational models for private sector biodiversity engagement

Matthew Selinske , Sarah Bekessy, Prue Addison, Georgia Garrard

Private sector engagement is increasingly recognized as critical for addressing global biodiversity loss, yet the recent IPBES global assessment of business and biodiversity confirms that current economic conditions remain largely incompatible with the transformative change required. We conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with business leaders and sustainability practitioners across multiple sectors in Australia to understand the individual and organizational dynamics driving biodiversity engagement, analyzing data using thematic analysis grounded in motivational theory and stakeholder theory. Our analysis identified a spectrum of business models ranging from compliance-driven risk mitigation to regenerative enterprises that strive to deliver biodiversity gains as core outputs. Individual motivations were primarily intrinsic, such as early nature connections, cultural obligation, and entrepreneurship, but required translation into an organizational business case. Key barriers included technical complexity of measuring biodiversity outcomes, opacity of supply chains, inadequacy of offset markets, and perceived absence of coordinated government leadership. Participants articulated theories of change centered on demonstration projects, knowledge sharing, and multi-actor coalitions. Our findings advance understanding of the interplay between individual agency and organizational context in nature-positive business innovation and offer actionable insights for conservation practitioners seeking to engage the private sector.