Areas of Operation
Areas of operation in corporate structures arrange the various fields of action in corporate biodiversity management. It is often possible and practical when departments to cooperate together, as is made clear through the cross-sectional nature of corporate biodiversity management systems.
Procurement
This department includes all business activities that involve the cost-effective procurement of the needed quantity of materials, machines or services in the necessary quality for production and sales. Procurement has a close relationship to the action field of commodities and raw materials procurement.
Best Practice Examples: Deutsche See – Biodiversity as a way to reduce business risk
Biological diversity is also the basis for whole economic sectors such as the fishing or fish-processing industries. The future availability of fish and seafood is obviously an essential component of long-term business success. Deutsche See has taken on this responsibility. The company is continually reviewing its product line for endangered species and requires its suppliers to use sustainable fishing methods.
Deutsche See
Best Practice Examples: Sekisui House Ltd. – Indigenous plants for humans and animals
Sekisui House Ltd. promotes the “Gohon no ki” gardening concept, which is designed to help maintain ecosystems by planting indigenous trees to attract local wildlife. Planting trees not only improves the aesthetics of the property, but it attracts wild birds and butterflies - creating a small ecosystem. This supports a network for interacting with the surrounding natural environment and has a positive effect on the quality of life for the local residents.
SEKISUI HOUSE, Ltd.
Best Practice Examples: Deutsche See – Sustainable fishing
To preserve global stocks of fish, Deutsche See has implemented procurement requirements that guarantee traceability and transparency. In addition the product line is regularly reviewed for endangered fish species as well as for the possibility of using fish from certified, sustainable fisheries, organic fish and fish from aquaculture.
Deutsche See
Production
This department is responsible for the production of all the products and services of a company. A production programme determines the production quantities, the capacities, the output as well as the production processes. Thus, there is a large variety of methods available for use in this functional area of corporate biodiversity management. They range from the design of the production site and the optimisation of the product and production processes to the transport between the individual production locations.
Best Practice Examples: Audi AG – Lowering water use
Water is essential for life – and it is a scarce good. In order to decrease the use of water, Audi recycles 96% of the water needed in its plant in Ingolstadt. It also gathers rainwater in underground cisterns and collecting tanks, which, over the last 20 years, has lowered the amount of water required per auto by almost 70%.
Best Practice Examples: TUI – Sustainable whale watching in Tenerife and Kenya
In order to protect the habitats of whale and dolphins and avoid threatening the animals, TUI whale watching excursions are carried out under strict ethical guidelines. Through these monitored excursions the local population is able to earn a living and support their communities.
Best Practice Examples: Precious Woods Holding – Reputation through FSC practices and employee training
Precious Woods harvests tropical wood in Gabon and South America. To maintain its reputation, the company conducts its business in full compliance with FSC rules and reforests abandoned pastures. Precious Woods also invests in training its employees, who are mainly from the surrounding region.
Precious Woods
Marketing
As a corporate department and management philosophy, market research and positioning include the planning, coordination, implementation and monitoring of all company activities orientated towards the market. The goal of marketing is the orientation of a company’s activities to satisfy the needs and desires of market participants. This gives marketing a key role in the development of new products, their positioning in the market and the company's public image.
Best Practice Examples: Saraya Co. Ltd. - Adding value with “Cause-related marketing”
Saraya, a Japanese detergent producer, shows that differentiation is possible by creating additional social value. With the sale of their Yashinomi washing agents, the company raises awareness and consumer-driven support for Saraya's active environmental policy and their investment in rainforest conservation and reparation projects.
Best Practice Examples: Werner & Mertz GmbH – Reputation through "Frosch protects frogs"
The Werner & Mertz brand Frosch (frog) makes ecological and environmentally friendly household cleaners. To strengthen their product philosophy, the company is involved in the renaturation of river meadows to actively support the local frog population and the natural resettlement of frogs in a number of places in Europe. As frogs are an indicator of high water quality, the company is com-bining reputation enhancement with practical conservation activities.
Best Practice Examples: oekom verlag – Ecology as a part of a brand name
Oekom has specialised in publishing works on the environment and sustainability. In a move to strengthen the company’s philosophy on ecology it exclusively uses recycled and FSC certified paper, purchases green power and organic farm food catering services for its employees, and is environmentally conscious in its business travel. These efforts are all part of an authentic concern about preserving the environment, which, in turn, improves the company's reputation company.
Sales and Distribution
This department involves the planning for and organisation of the provision of goods and services for the business and the final buyer. The goal is to be able to offer products and services in the right amount at the right time and in the right place. In this department the reduction of emissions and actions to help prevent the introduction of invasive species to new habitats could be part of a corporate biodiversity management strategy.
In addition, using supply chain management tools allows businesses to tap into the local resources and local markets. This can also contribute to preserving the surrounding biological diversity as well as supporting sustainable warehouse site management.
Best Practice Examples: Puma AG - Sustainability and transparency throughout the supply chain
Puma AG, a leading global sportlifestyle company, is an experienced player in supply chain management. In an effort to create transparency in its own business and sustainability reporting, it has committed to working closely with its suppliers. With the Global Action Network for Transparency in the Supply Chain (GANTSCh) Puma has been working with more than 30 of its suppliers since 2006 to build up equal partnerships as well as provide trainings and coaching to build capacities for sustainable operation.
Puma
Best Practice Examples: Der Grüne Punkt - Duales System Deutschland - Agenda for sustainable packaging
DSD is concerned about the packaging life cycle and is cooperating with many manufacturers to develop a way to keep the packaging materials even longer in the business cycle (cradle-to-cradle). With the company’s Environmental Success Report, DSD has been able to collect information on its environmental impact, as well as gather specific indicators on the further development of packaging recycling. DSD has joined forces with selected partners from the retailing, filling and package manufacturing sectors to set up the “Sustainable Packaging Agenda” pilot project.
Der Grüne Punkt – Duales System Deutschland GmbH (DSD)
Research and Development (R&D)
Through innovation and development, this department both generates and uses new knowledge about introducing new products to the market. This gives it a key role in the development and innovation of products and production processes. As part of a risk assessment, research and development has a special responsibility towards products, production processes and research. An example would be field testing new plant types.
Best Practice Examples: TUI – TUI customers and coral monitoring
TUI guests, under the watchful eye of scientists from Reef Check, are able to participate in researching coral reefs and the dangers human influences pose. The data is easy to collect and can be done by snorkelers and hobby divers. The information they gather is transmitted to Reef Check’s central database where it is processed to give a worldwide outlook on the reef’s current endangerment and the influence humans have.
Best Practice Examples: Kajima Corporation – Japanese honeybee as bioindicator
Kajima Corporation, a Japanese construction company, is continuing to investigate how indigenous honeybees could be used as an indicator for human quality of life, because they support and stabilise biodiversity by means of pollination. The idea behind this initiative is that native honeybees are vulnerable to agricultural chemicals and that they need plants as a source of nectar.
Kajima Corporation
Best Practice Examples: Kajima Corporation – Innovative evaluation methods in the building industry
Kajima Corporation, a Japanese construction company, uses innovative planning and evaluation methods to analyse whether a sufficient quality and quantity of green space is available for key (indicator) species. In addition to using a geographic information system (GIS), Kajima employs high resolution satellite data and digital surface models. This shows that with the proper planning these species’ habitats can be saved.
Kajima Corporation
Human Resources
Alongside organisational and administrative tasks, this department is involved in strategic activities increasing individual employee's work satisfaction and performance. A further connection to corporate biodiversity management can be found in health and work safety issues. For example, by reducing the amount of hazardous materials in a workplace, the danger of their release is also minimised.
The most important instruments for this area of operation revolve around trainings and further education possibilities in biodiversity. Corporate volunteering and corresponding employee suggestion systems can also play a key role in the corporate biodiversity management in this field.
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.
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.
Best Practice Examples: HeidelbergCement – Driver mix
Biodiversity management at HeidelbergCement has a combination of drivers. To ensure that they are able to continue mining raw materials, the company is committed to active stakeholder dialogue. Through efficient biodiversity management and an open dialogue with conservation agencies, NGOs and neighbouring communities about the standards the company applies, HeidelbergCement has been able to save costs (normally incurred by expensive cultivation efforts and long approval processes) and enhance its reputation.
Site-Management
Using the appropriate site and production facility design can go a long way in preserving the biodiversity of a region. Not only do energy-efficient building designs help reduce environmental degradation, but also properly constructed façades and roofs, extensive property care and the reduction of bird strikes (birds flying into glass fronts) play an important role in protecting biodiversity. On the inside of building, the interior design can also contribute to biodiversity. An example would be outfitting an office space with furniture and floor coverings using verified wood sources.
The effect of such a design is often apparent and easily accessible. This can increase the well being at work while at the same time having a positive effect on external stakeholders. Site management is a visible part of the overall company image and should therefore be component of the corporate marketing.
Best Practice Examples: TUI – Environmentally friendly construction at the Robinson Club
Through regional-specific design and ecological pest controls at hotel facilities, Robinson is contributing to the protection of native animal and plants species at its various vacation destinations.
Best Practice Examples: Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance – Green oasis on the rooftop in a megacity
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance constructed a rooftop garden on top of its head office in central Tokyo. Comprising over 7000 m² of green space, the garden provides a safe place for wild birds and is integrated in an ecological network of green public areas.
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd.
Best Practice Examples: HeidelbergCement – Driver mix
Biodiversity management at HeidelbergCement has a combination of drivers. To ensure that they are able to continue mining raw materials, the company is committed to active stakeholder dialogue. Through efficient biodiversity management and an open dialogue with conservation agencies, NGOs and neighbouring communities about the standards the company applies, HeidelbergCement has been able to save costs (normally incurred by expensive cultivation efforts and long approval processes) and enhance its reputation.
