Respect for nature adds value for everyone

Biodiversity lifts wellbeing – and the bottom line, says Ron van Bloois.

This special edition of Impact is focused on integrating biodiversity, both in new developments and in the transformation of existing assets. It’s a challenging topic for real estate professionals who (mainly) think, or assume, that the value of their assets lies in bricks and mortar.

At the Mipim conference in Cannes, we explored these perspectives in a lively and engaging session, which I co-moderated alongside Christiane Conrads from PwC. She wrapped up the key takeaways as follows:

Who should lead? Which stakeholder should coordinate efforts to accelerate biodiversity? Municipalities, developers, general contractors, or investors? A clear lead is essential for effective stakeholder management.

Biodiversity must be factored into real estate valuations, as it increasingly ties into the business case. It can drive value creation, reduce operational costs, mitigate long-term risks, and enable access to sustainable finance. Integrating nature is no longer just a ‘nice-to-have’ – it’s becoming a strategic asset for investors.

Tech solutions need to evolve. While many innovations address single issues (such as climate change mitigation), biodiversity requires more complex, interconnected solutions that work in sync.

Simplicity is key. Although biodiversity is a complex topic, there is a strong need for clear guidance and practical, collaborative approaches to enable real-world action.

And finally, biodiversity contributes to happiness. More cities are beginning to measure residents’ wellbeing, and younger generations are raising expectations around green spaces and nature-based solutions in the built environment.

This happiness factor is going to do the magic of interconnecting all factors. This will be in social terms, but it also includes hard, financial values. The greater resident/user/occupier appreciation becomes, along with increased wellbeing, lower sick leave and fewer risks on balance sheets, the greater the valuations will be for areas and the assets within them, and the higher the exit values.

So let’s respect Mother Nature, please: by doing so you will do yourself and future generations a great service.

Ron van Bloois is managing editor of Impact and founder of the SHHA