27 March, 2026

If invasive alien species (IAS) aren’t yet on your corporate radar, Fauna & Flora, IUCN and TNFD’s latest call to action suggests they probably should be.

IAS are one of the five main drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide, alongside climate change, land and sea use change, overexploitation and pollution. According to the IPBES 2023 assessment, they cost the global economy more than $423 billion annually, a figure that has quadrupled every decade since 1970. For companies already navigating – or considering – TNFD or SBTN, both frameworks include IAS guidance, giving businesses a practical starting point for getting to grips with their exposure.

The report draws on data from 184 organisations across 52 countries, and the findings are eye-opening. While 81% of companies recognise IAS as a material risk to businesses in general, only 57% say the same about their own organisation, and just 31% regularly assess their exposure. The biggest barriers? Lack of data (53%) and lack of awareness (50%) – both very much addressable with the right support. Risk management is the top motivator for action (66%), and with 89% of companies saying they want to collaborate more to address it.

The effects are already rippling through supply chains. Citrus greening has devastated citrus production in Florida and Brazil, and the bacteria that cause it are now edging closer to home, with carriers established in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus. For food and beverage manufacturers, beauty brands relying on citrus oils and retailers sourcing from southern Europe, this is no longer a distant risk.

It’s also a good reminder of why nature needs to sit alongside climate in decarbonisation planning. Rail operators like Rhaetian Railway are already managing IAS along their networks, tracking fast-spreading species and working with local authorities to interrupt pathways of spread. As intermodal freight becomes the norm more broadly, the maritime leg deserves equal scrutiny. Ships carry ballast water, which moves species across oceans – Asian kelp, introduced this way, has taken hold in ports across Europe and beyond, disrupting fishing and coastal tourism. Regulatory scrutiny is tightening too: in 2023, CMA CGM, one of the world’s largest container shipping companies, was fined $165,000 by the US Environmental Protection Agency for discharging untreated water.

Prevention works, and it starts with asking the right questions. Our nature team can help you do exactly that – we’d love to hear from you.

By Mariana Garcia