UK Nature Summit | York, 2026

The UK Nature Summit 2026, was hosted by Environment Bank at the historic Castle Howard Estate in North Yorkshire and moderated by Nik Gowing. The event brought together business leaders, investors, sustainability professionals and nature experts to examine how organisations can move from nature ambition to meaningful action.

Against the backdrop of increasing regulatory, investor and societal scrutiny, the summit explored why nature loss has become a business-critical issue and what practical steps organisations can take to build long-term resilience.

What we achieved

Thinking the Unthinkable worked closely with Environment Bank in the design and development of the summit, helping to shape the key themes, structure and discussions. Nik Gowing moderated the entire summit, guiding discussions across a series of keynote presentations and panels. Bringing together leaders from finance, infrastructure, utilities, food, consulting and conservation.

The discussions surfaced a significant shift in thinking: nature loss is no longer viewed as a peripheral sustainability concern, but as a core business risk with direct implications for organisational resilience. Contributions from speakers including Cherry Muijsson of BlackRock, Phillip Blaen and Lieutenant General Richard Nugee highlighted the growing recognition that environmental degradation creates systemic risks that businesses can no longer afford to ignore.

The summit also explored how organisations are responding. Speakers including Nick Gabriel, Michael Turner and Michael Burgass shared practical examples of integrating nature into corporate strategy. Panellists from the Green Finance Institute, WSP and Environment Bank examined the tools, finance mechanisms and disclosure frameworks needed to accelerate action.

A consistent theme throughout the day was that intent alone is no longer enough: organisations now require practical pathways, trusted partnerships and credible delivery models if they are to meet both business and biodiversity objectives.

Impact

The UK Nature Summit helped establish a shared understanding that nature recovery is fundamental to future business resilience. The conversations moved beyond compliance and reporting to focus on implementation, investment and long-term value.

Thinking the Unthinkable’s involvement ensured that the summit challenged conventional thinking, connected diverse perspectives and created a more integrated conversation about the role businesses must play in reversing nature loss. The result was a highly practical and forward-looking discussion that reinforced the urgent need for organisations to embed nature into core business strategy rather than treat it as a standalone sustainability issue.