Would you give nature a seat on your board?

How one UK business is making itself even more environmentally friendly by giving nature a seat on the board. Could you do the same?

pic Cottonbro Studios/Pexels

A couple of weeks ago I went to a really inspiring talk by Mika Peck, Professor of Conservation Ecology at Sussex University, about the Rights of Nature.

While many of us are concerned that human activities are causing runaway climate and ecological breakdown, there is a global counter-movement that is trying to rebalance things by adopting a different  worldview - from one that sees nature as our property, to one where nature has its own rights.

Already a number of rivers and ecosystems in 24 countries from the USA to New Zealand have been granted personhood in law. Ecuador in particular made history when it changed its entire constitution to enshrine nature’s rights. When that was tested in 2021, the courts revoked mining licences in protected regions.

The movement for the Rights of Nature is picking up momentum across the world, but as Grant Wilson at the Earth Law Centre, says: “businesses have been slow to recognise that they are a crucial part of this story.”

In the 1970’s, social scientist and philosopher Gregory Bateson said “The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how Nature works and the way people think.”

Some businesses do recognise this and are changing the way they think.

Last year, Manchester-based natural haircare and beauty company, Faith in Nature, became the first company in the world to make nature a director - giving the natural world a vote on all major business decisions. In case you're wondering, they do it via a human proxy who is legally bound to speak on nature's behalf.

What does nature say?

Faith in Nature say, “Ultimately, all directors have a duty to ensure the success of the company. Historically, ‘success’ has meant profit… to Nature, ‘success’ means having a healthy planet upon which to thrive. Sometimes Nature may ask of us things we cannot financially afford. We just don’t know yet. But we do know that we need to hear those suggestions, whatever they are.” 

If you're interested to do the same, Faith in Nature have created a guide that explains how to give nature a seat on your board - read more here. ​

Over the winter we’ve been working on School of the Wild’s reason for being in the world - we haven’t made Nature a director yet - but we do have a new story about why we do what we do: read about our new purpose here.

If you're interested to bring ideas like this into your work and business, at School of the Wild, our mission is to help organisations work with nature to transform their teams and inspire a regenerative relationship with the world and each other. We bring leaders and teams outside to help you reconnect and think differently, so that you’re inspired to transform the way you work.

Have a look at our outdoor team building and leadership development programmes, or get in touch for more information.