Urban and regional synergies in environmental stewardship

Australia’s landscapes are as diverse as its communities, spanning bustling urban centres and vast regional expanses. Yet, when it comes to environmental stewardship - particularly climate adaptation and biodiversity protection - our responsibilities are shared. Nature doesn’t recognise postcodes, and neither should our efforts to protect it. 

Nature starts at home 

Nature appears in urban backyards, parks, and waterways, just as it does in remote bushland and farmland. While farmers and regional communities are often seen as the frontline custodians of Australia’s natural capital, urban dwellers must also recognise their capacity to contribute to positive nature outcomes. Environmental stewardship is a collective responsibility that cannot be outsourced. From reducing emissions to restoring local biodiversity, Australians based in cities have both the opportunity and obligation to act in unison with regional communities. 

This introspection is critical. Urban communities often look to farmers and regional communities to heal degradation in natural capital values on their behalf, given the large land mass under management. But true progress requires us all to examine our own footprint—how we consume, build, and invest—and to understand how urban communities can support farmers in their land stewardship. 

Climate resilience and biodiversity: Shared priorities 

Climate adaptation and biodiversity protection are not siloed issues. Urban areas face heat stress, flooding, and infrastructure vulnerability, while regional areas contend with drought, bushfires, and ecosystem degradation. Their specific challenges may vary, but both communities have a stake in climate resilience. 

Green infrastructure in cities, such as urban forests, wetlands, and permeable surfaces, can mitigate climate impacts while supporting biodiversity. In regional areas, landscape-scale conservation and sustainable land management are essential. Together, these efforts form a national mosaic of resilience. 

Citizen science, cross-community education, and digital platforms can help bridge the knowledge gap, but Australians living in urban areas can also learn from Indigenous land management practices and regional expertise, while contributing data, advocacy, and funding. 

The urban-regional divide is both a barrier and an opportunity 

Australia’s urban-regional divide is well documented—economically, socially, and environmentally. Urban centres concentrate population, infrastructure, and investment, while regional areas carry the weight of natural resource management, food production, and biodiversity conservation. 

The psychology of this divide can create an obstruction to action with its ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mindset. Conversely, strong collaboration presents a powerful opportunity to harness diverse skills and resources around a shared objective to improve natural capital quality. Climate change and biodiversity loss are systemic challenges that demand systemic responses. Urban and regional communities must work together to build resilience, share knowledge, and co-invest in sustainable futures. 

Agribusiness: A natural connector 

Agribusiness sits at the intersection of urban and regional Australia, incorporating all aspects of food production, taking food from farms and factories, through processing, labelling, transporting, and into shops and supermarkets. It links producers with processors, exporters, retailers, and consumers. As such, it offers a unique platform for environmental collaboration and natural capital uplift.

Urban investment in regional agribusiness can provide the capital to further enhance sustainable practices, improve supply chain transparency, and create shared economic value. For example, regenerative agriculture and carbon farming initiatives benefit from urban capital and consumer demand, while delivering practical environmental outcomes on the ground. 

Moreover, agribusiness can help translate sustainability into tangible business metrics, such as yield improvements, risk mitigation, and brand differentiation. This makes environmental stewardship a strategic move, not just a moral one. 

Nature and finance: A new frontier 

The financial sector is increasingly recognising the materiality of natural capital in investment decisions. The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) is driving a shift in businesses’ relationships with nature and the internalisation of costs and benefits of risks and opportunities. This applies across sectors - from agriculture and mining to property and finance. 

Incorporating nature into investment decisions is no longer optional. Businesses must understand their dependencies and impacts on nature, and factor these into strategy, risk management, and resource allocation decisions. This includes the implications of biodiversity loss, water scarcity and quality, soil productivity, and ecosystem degradation - all of which have direct financial implications. 

Greater awareness of our relationship with nature can lead to innovation. Nature-positive investments, green bonds, and sustainability-linked loans are growing in prominence. These tools can support both urban and regional initiatives, aligning financial returns with environmental outcomes. 

Stewardship without borders 

Environmental stewardship relies on integration. Economically, it drives innovation, job creation, and regional development. Socially, it fosters cohesion, shared purpose, and intergenerational equity. Environmentally, it ensures that our ecosystems remain viable and vibrant. 

Urban and regional communities must move beyond the divide and embrace shared responsibility. By appreciating and enhancing natural values in urban backyards, supporting farmers in theirs, and integrating environmental priorities into our economic and financial systems, collectively we can build a more resilient, biodiverse, and prosperous Australia. 

Here to help 

BDO’s national sustainability team combine deep expertise in food and agribusiness with emerging nature-finance frameworks to help you align environmental outcomes with strategic value. 

Get in touch today to explore how your organisation can integrate TNFD-aligned practices, discover nature-positive investment opportunities, and build resilience across urban and regional landscapes.