Tools: Environmental impact assessment
Environmental impact assessments (EIA) serve to systematically identify, predict and evaluate the environmental impacts of proposed projects in a timely manner. The EU has established EIA guidelines, which must be implemented into member states’ national laws. Projects subject to EIA standards have been catalogued and made available to the public to check if planned ventures fall into a compliance category. Accordingly, for planned actions not subject to EIA guidelines, companies have the opportunity to voluntarily submit to such an assessment. The “voluntary guidelines on biodiversity-inclusive environmental impact assessments, published by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, contains recommendations on how the effects of a project on biodiversity can be integrated into such an impact assessment.
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.
Screen - S
Screen and identify fields of action
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.
Sites and Facilities
The construction and use of office buildings, production halls or car parks change the existing habitat and affect biodiversity. This applies to both manufacturing and service industries. The area used by the fishing, farming and forest industries is included in the list of sites. Facilities can be greenhouse gas sinks or sources. For instance, if a wetland is to be used as a company site and is drained and dried, greenhouse gases will be emitted into the air. Similarly, clear cutting a section of forest destroys a natural CO2 sink. In the initial transformation of raw materials to useable construction materials, extracting rock from quarries or ploughing grasslands heavily impact plant and animal habitats.
Supply chains, commodities and materials
The types of commodities and raw materials used also impact biodiversity. For example the acquisition of minerals, energy, agricultural products, fish, wood, medicinal herbs or plants – genetically modified or not – impacts regions that often do not belong to the businesses benefiting from them. Such unintended consequences can be reduced or avoided altogether by implementing the appropriate supply chain management. The supply chain management is the starting point for regulating extraction methods as well as the quantity and quality of purchased materials. Similarly, this approach is applicable to the service sector. To a great extent this industry also uses raw materials such as paper and goods whose production can positively or negatively impact biodiversity.
Additional information about Supply chains, commodities and materials
Production and manufacturing processes
Resource consumption and emissions, such as waste water, airborne pollutants or greenhouse gas, are generally hazardous for biological diversity. Therefore, optimising production processes is usually an effective contribution to protecting biodiversity. Improved process design can also reduce the necessary net input of raw materials and energy, often resulting in lower production costs.
Additional information about Production and manufacturing processes
