The Orchestra Plays: Coordinating action to scale nature positive business models in Europe

17 September 2026 -  A new report by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) explores how nature positive innovation can be scaled when public institutions, businesses, investors and innovators play complementary roles within a shared system.

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Nature-related risks are increasingly impacting the economy, through price volatility, supply chain disruption and broader societal impacts. This will increasingly call into question whether existing business models are fundamentally viable, resilient and sustainable. Innovative business models, which align financial value with better outcomes for nature, offer a way to reduce risk and a potential commercial opportunity. But how can these scale from niche solutions at the fringes of the market to the backbone of future markets?

The Orchestra Plays examines nature transitions across four value chains, setting out the barriers and scaling strategies for each one. The report finds that technological feasibility is no longer the main constraint to scale. 

Instead, we face a co-ordination problem. Governments, businesses, financial institutions and civil society all have distinct roles to play in the transition to a more resilient, competitive and sustainable economy. Effective co-ordination across these actors, to align actions, incentives and resources, will not occur spontaneously. 

The report highlights the need for public institutions to establish clear direction and create enabling conditions; businesses to accelerate deployment and market adoption; and finance to help bridge the gap between innovation and widespread implementation. It also explores the importance of institutions that connect and convene different actors across the system.

These insights contribute to CISL's A-Track work on scaling nature positive aligned business models, which explores how innovation systems can support the transition to a more sustainable and resilient economy. The briefing offers practical reflections for policymakers, investors, businesses and innovation leaders