Tools: Corporate Volunteering
Corporate volunteering, also known as employee volunteering, is a non-profit engagement in which employees of a company donate their working time to certain activities. These actions can support diverse projects such as environmental and nature conservation. Such a commitment can enhance the reputation of a company, improve the social competence of employees, help develop a positive atmosphere at work and strengthen employee identification with the company.
Management Cycle Stages
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.
Act - A
Take corrective action
Do - D
Implement action plans
Fields of action
Fields of action in can be identified and set by analysing where a company’s activities have a either direct or indirect influence on biodiversity. The spatial relation to biological diversity is intuitively connected to the sites and facilities field of action. Corporate activities influence biodiversity in other ways though as well.
Personnel
A sustainable biodiversity management system will be all the more successful when the employees are convinced of it and are allowed to actively take part in achieving its goals. They are the ones who are taking the decisions on a day-to-day basis and who are implementing management strategies.
In addition, employees volunteering time help protect biological diversity. When the necessary structures are created and volunteer programmes are promoted, it can strengthen employee corporate identity.
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.
