Why biodiversity matters for business—and what leaders must do about it

Business cannot thrive on a dying planet. That was the core message emerging from ESMT Berlin’s Insight Hour held on World Biodiversity Day, May 22, 2025, featuring Dr. Christof Schenck, Executive Director of the Frankfurt Zoological Society. Far from a narrow call for environmental action, the session presented a powerful case for rethinking leadership itself. In an era of ecological crisis, geopolitical uncertainty, and rising stakeholder expectations, the need for a new kind of leadership—one that is long-term, systems-oriented, and deeply purpose-driven—has never been more urgent.

| May 22, 2025

Conservation as a mirror for business leadership

The work of Dr. Christof Schenck involves protecting endangered ecosystems under extreme conditions—political instability, scarce resources, and volatile climates. In this context, leadership is not about dominance or control; it is about building coalitions, managing long-term uncertainty, and staying relentlessly aligned with mission.

For business leaders, these are not unfamiliar challenges. What distinguishes conservation leadership is its clarity of purpose and depth of commitment. Business executives operating in a world of ESG expectations, climate risk, and societal pressure would do well to look to conservation not as a charity case—but as a model of strategic, purpose-driven leadership under pressure.

1. From shareholder value to systems value

Leaders must expand their definition of value creation. Just as conservationists must protect not one species but whole ecosystems, business leaders must steward interconnected systems—supply chains, communities, and the environment itself. Long-term resilience depends on the health of these systems.

2. From control to collaboration

The most successful conservation efforts are those that center local knowledge and build trust-based partnerships. In the same way, companies need to move beyond extractive models and co-create solutions with stakeholders—from regulators to indigenous communities to employees.

3. From short-term gains to generational strategy

Conservation timelines span decades. In business, however, quarterly earnings still dominate decision-making. Leaders need to cultivate long-term thinking—not only for climate strategies but for navigating innovation, talent development, and geopolitical risk.

4. From sustainability as compliance to sustainability as innovation

Biodiversity loss is often viewed through a lens of risk. But what if it were also a lens for opportunity? Regenerative models, circular economies, and nature-based solutions are not just environmental strategies—they are sources of new value creation.

5. From transactional leadership to purpose-driven leadership

Conservationists cannot afford to lead without deep moral conviction. The same is increasingly true for business leaders. Employees, customers, and investors are demanding that organizations stand for something. That means not just declaring purpose—but living it, structurally and strategically.

Business has often seen the environment as something to protect “from a distance”—a matter for compliance or CSR. But the future demands more. It demands regeneration: of ecosystems, of communities, and of leadership itself.