who owns your water? who owns the pollination supporting your crops? who owns the climate stability keeping your logistics routes open?
for most businesses, the answer is 'nobody' or 'the state.' but in a world of resource scarcity, these invisible dependencies are your greatest operational risks. if you don't secure the health of the natural assets you depend on, you are operating without a contract for your most critical inputs.
the 'nature as supplier' framework
leading procurement teams are moving beyond 'sustainability' toward strategic autonomy. they use the 'nature as supplier' framework—pioneered by izzy fenwick—to map their foundation. they no longer view nature as an 'externality,' but as a foundational vendor that provides essential services.
| nature's 'department' | what it does | business equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| watersheds | water filtration/flow | raw material supply |
| wetlands | flood protection | facility insurance |
| forests | climate regulation | energy efficiency |
| biodiversity | risk resilience | redundant supply chain |
from unmanaged cost to strategic investment
traditional business treats nature as a cost center or a liability to be disclosed. this is a mistake. when a critical aquifer degrades, it isn't just an environmental loss—it's a single-source dependence failure.
the cost of 'replacing' these services (e.g., desalination or long-distance hauling) is often 10-100x the cost of protecting the natural infrastructure today. by treating nature as a supplier, you move from passive risk to active investment.
securing strategic autonomy via ensurance
ensurance provides the mechanism to move from unmanaged dependency to permanent protection.
by acquiring ensurance certificates for the specific natural assets in your supply chain, you are securing the long-term viability of your operations. you are ensuring that your 'supplier' (nature) remains healthy, productive, and capable of delivering the services you need. this isn't charity; it's infrastructure investment.
the window is closing
waiting for a 'nature-positive' future is a luxury. protecting against 'nature-negative' failure is a necessity. as more corporations move toward strategic autonomy, the natural assets providing critical services will be 'spoken for'—either by those who ensured them, or by the state as part of emergency conservation mandates.
taking action
map your dependencies. value your services. ensure your assets. before your competitors do.