An Engineering Blueprint for a Biodiversity-Positive Future
Over half of the world’s economy relies on the services nature provides, from fisheries and fertile soils to clean air and stable climates. Yet, biodiversity is vanishing at an alarming rate, with extinction levels estimated to be between 100 and 1,000 times higher than historical norms. Against this backdrop, a new report is urging the engineering sector to fundamentally rethink how it designs and builds infrastructure in fragile coastal and marine environments.
The Foresight of Nature-Positive Engineering report, published by Lloyd’s Register Foundation in collaboration with the International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI), provides a blueprint for embedding ecology within engineering. It outlines how nature-positive engineering (NPE) could transform infrastructure into a force for regeneration rather than depletion.
Redefining engineering’s role
Historically, the built environment has fuelled economic progress while also driving climate instability, habitat destruction, and resource overuse. The authors of the report argue this trajectory must shift. NPE is presented not just as a way of reducing harm, but as a transformative approach that actively restores and enhances ecosystems.
Savina Carluccio, Executive Director of ICSI, explained the significance: “Engineering has long driven human progress, but it has also contributed to ecological degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate instability. These changes are having a significant impact on the maritime system, where rising sea levels and severe weather patterns pose a significant threat to the safe operation of marine infrastructure, and the livelihoods of coastal communities.”
She added: “Today, engineers face both a responsibility and an opportunity to become stewards of the natural systems we all depend on, which are under immense pressure. This demands a fundamental shift in infrastructure development, moving from viewing nature as a constraint to recognising it as a critical ally in achieving human and planetary well-being.”
From less harm to more good
At its core, nature-positive engineering goes beyond mitigation. It embraces the idea of measurable ecological gains, contributing to biodiversity recovery while still delivering on society’s infrastructure needs. Carluccio emphasised: “Nature-positive engineering takes concrete steps to deliver measurable gains for nature, moving beyond ‘doing less harm’ to ‘doing more good’ on a path toward regeneration. It has shown promise in coastal and marine environments, but now is the time to scale it.”
The report positions the maritime sector as a proving ground for NPE, with examples already showing tangible results:
- Living shorelines reinforced with native vegetation, reducing erosion while creating habitats.
- Eco-enhanced marine protection structures that support biodiversity alongside their protective function.
- Fish hotels integrated into offshore wind farms, giving marine life safe havens from predators.
These initiatives demonstrate that ecological integrity and infrastructure performance can go hand in hand.
Scaling up with policy and innovation
To accelerate adoption, the report highlights three enablers that could shift NPE from niche to mainstream practice:
- Policy and governance – Governments must create enabling frameworks that embed ecological outcomes in planning, procurement, and permitting processes.
- Technology and capacity building – A toolkit is needed to equip engineers, contractors, and students with practical knowledge of NPE solutions.
- Collaboration through a global alliance – A professional network would promote knowledge exchange, best practice, and visibility of successful projects worldwide.
Jan Przydatek, Director of Technologies at Lloyd’s Register Foundation, stressed the urgency: “Critical infrastructure is essential to keeping people safe and supporting economic activity, but it doesn’t need to come at the expense of biodiversity. It’s time to go beyond carbon-neutral infrastructure that minimizes harm to fundamentally transform the way we approach the built environment for the next generation.”
Economic opportunity in ecological resilience
Nature-positive engineering is not only about avoiding collapse but also about unlocking opportunities. The World Economic Forum estimates that $44 trillion, over half of global GDP, depends on nature’s services. With three-quarters of 2050’s infrastructure yet to be built, the choices made today will dictate whether economies face growing risks or new growth frontiers.
Embedding NPE can support industries that rely on stable coastlines, healthy fisheries, and resilient communities. At the same time, projects that enhance natural systems often reduce long-term maintenance costs and build resilience against climate-driven hazards.
Global input, global responsibility
The report’s findings were shaped by a comprehensive global consultation process, reflecting the voices of over 200 stakeholders across 30 countries and four continents. It also included:
- Five roundtables with engineers, policymakers, and civil society leaders
- Thirty expert interviews and focus groups
- An open call for global contributions
- A review of existing literature and real-world case studies
This inclusive process underscored that NPE is not the domain of a single sector. From governments and academia to port operators, financiers, and NGOs, multiple stakeholders must rally behind the shift.
Extending lessons beyond the coast
Although the report’s case studies largely focus on ports, renewable energy, and coastal protection, the principles are relevant far beyond the shoreline. Przydatek highlighted: “The practice of nature-positive engineering is in the early phase of implementation. The scaling of nature-based solutions at the scale required, will only be possible when it is embedded in engineering practice that builds future infrastructure. Although the report focuses on coastal and marine environments, its findings are equally applicable to development on land and at sea.”
From green roofs in urban settings to river restoration within inland transport networks, the same principles can help make terrestrial projects part of the solution rather than the problem.
A call to lead with nature
The Foresight Review is more than a research document; it is a rallying cry for the engineering profession. Carluccio’s words capture this urgency: “This Foresight Review is a rallying call to mobilise the profession to lead the transition to infrastructure that enables both people and nature to thrive.”
By reframing nature as a partner rather than a barrier, engineers are being invited to step into a leadership role in tackling biodiversity loss and climate change. The tools exist. The opportunities are clear. What remains is the collective will to make nature-positive engineering standard practice.
Building a future where both people and nature thrive
The momentum around NPE suggests a paradigm shift is already under way. What was once a niche consideration is emerging as a cornerstone of future-ready infrastructure. As climate pressures intensify, embracing this shift is no longer optional, it is essential.
The engineering sector, long associated with innovation and resilience, now faces the challenge of delivering solutions that not only safeguard people but regenerate ecosystems. If successful, the next generation of infrastructure could stand as proof that development and nature need not be at odds.
