Global engineers group calls for 'nature-positive' shift

A GLOBAL coalition of engineers has issued an urgent call for a fundamental shift in infrastructure development, urging the industry to adopt “nature-positive engineering” (NPE) to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises while unlocking economic opportunity.

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The appeal comes in a new report, “Foresight of Nature-Positive Engineering,” released by Lloyd's Register Foundation in partnership with the International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI). The report outlines a blueprint for safely scaling NPE in vulnerable coastal and marine environments, including ports, offshore renewable energy projects, and coastal protection.

The authors argue that despite infrastructure’s historic contribution to carbon emissions, habitat loss, and resource depletion, it can be a key leverage point for ecological recovery.

NPE is defined as actively protecting, restoring, and enhancing natural systems to deliver measurable ecological gains alongside supporting societal needs and well-being, moving beyond merely “doing less harm" to "doing more good."

BIODIVERSITY RISK