Business and Biodiversity Initiative

Biodiversity includes the diversity of ecosystems and species as well as the genetic variation within the species. Biological diversity is the basis for a number of different services for people and the economy.

All Impact factors on biological diversity

More permanent measures are those that simultaneously make a direct contribution to a company’s success while contributing to the conservation of biological diversity. In such cases a “business case for sustainability” or, more specifically, a “business case for biodiversity” is referred to.

A business case for biodiversity can be achieved through targeted, voluntary biodiversity conservation measures that go beyond the legal requirements, and work to strengthen a company’s competitive advantage. This is often aided by intelligently and efficiently complying with existing government regulations, such as wastewater treatment, which has positive effects on biodiversity.

The success of a corporate biodiversity management is linked to changes in one or more success-related variables called business case drivers.

All Drivers of Business Cases

Areas of operation in corporate structures organise the various fields of action in corporate biodiversity management. As is made clear through the cross-sectional nature of corporate biodiversity management systems, it is often possible and practical for departments to cooperate together.

Human Resources

Approaches:

Development of employee incentive systems

Goals:

Enhanced reputation and motivation through employee volunteering

Best Practice Examples: UPM-Kymmene – Biodiversity training

In order to conserve and increase biological diversity in the company’s own forests, this Finnish forestry company has developed a global biodiversity programme. This programme involves training for all woodcutters and forest managers, focusing on what makes a habitat valuable, how it can be protected and how this can take place as part of a sustainable forestry management programme.

Company Profile: UPM

Best Practice Examples: TUI – Environment-related training for tourism managers

A continual education topic at TUI is the “Environment”. With a permanent employee training program, the TUI tourism managers receive training about environmental and species protection activities at the company.

Company Profile: TUI

Best Practice Examples: Fujitsu – tropical forest regeneration

Fujitsu group employees participate in the regeneration and reforestation of tropical forests in Thailand, Malaysian Borneo and in the mangrove forests in Vietnam. Today 1.18 million trees have been planted on 670 ha of land. The regeneration of the forests aims to support the rich biodiversity found in this area.

Company Profile: Fujitsu Ltd.

Additional information about Human Resources

All Areas of Operation

Corporate biodiversity management not only requires scientific and planned approaches, but also environmental management business methods.

For instance, the biological diversity of an area can be modelled with the help of regional surveys and field mapping. These evaluations can then become part a business’ decision-making and management processes.

Specific methods for corporate environmental management have not been readily available in the past. Furthermore, these tools can only be roughly assigned to phases of the management cycle, because some of them can be used in more than one of the phases. For example, “indicators and key ratios” are both an important part of determining the current state of biodiversity (for screening and success measurement) but are also the basis for planning future programmes.

The selection and usability of a tool depends on the function of the departments involved, the business case driver and the intended effect on the impact factors that, in turn, affect biodiversity.

In the following section the way a variety of tools can be applied to biodiversity will be specified.

Corporate Volunteering

In the following fields of action this tool can be used:

• Act - A
• Do - D

Best Practice Examples: Fujitsu – tropical forest regeneration

Fujitsu group employees participate in the regeneration and reforestation of tropical forests in Thailand, Malaysian Borneo and in the mangrove forests in Vietnam. Today 1.18 million trees have been planted on 670 ha of land. The regeneration of the forests aims to support the rich biodiversity found in this area.

Company Profile: Fujitsu Ltd.

Additional information about Corporate Volunteering

All Tools

Using a systematic management “plan-do-check-act” cycle to implement a corporate biodiversity management process allows for proper business orientation, for example, as is used when part of the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) or ISO 14000.

Finding the business-specific relationship between company and biodiversity is, however, made more difficult by the complexity and extent of biodiversity (ecosystem, species, and genetic pool). The criteria “rareness” and “endangerment” of species and habitats act as a point of orientation. Aids in determining such threats to biodiversity such as the “Red List”, the European Union’s Habitats Directive along with the EU’s Birds Directive and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Scientific expertise is often required in cases where specific plans are made. This is an area where local environment and nature conservation groups can provide businesses with technical know-how, representing an opportunity to deepen the cooperation with regional NGOs.

All Management Cycle Stages