From 6 to 17 October, the 12th Conference of the Parties to the CBD is taking place in Pyeongchang, Korea. At the beginning of August, the CBD  published the draft decisions for CBD-COP 12 in one document that can be downloaded at: <link http: www.cbd.int doc meetings cop cop-12 official cop-12-01-add2-en.pdf _blank external-link-new-window external link in new>www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/cop/cop-12/official/cop-12-01-add2-en.pdf

Business is being addressed in quite a number of decisions and topics, but just as in previous years there is one decision especially dedicated to the role of companies (item 29, p. 132 et seq). It underlines several issues already stated in previous decisions and acknowledges the ongoing work of existing initiatives like ours. What is new, however, is a special focus on reporting. Both Governments and companies are asked to step up their efforts to better integrate biodiversity into company reporting.

Brief excerpt from the text:

“[…] 1. Invites Parties, taking into account their national policies, needs and priorities:
[…] 
(b) To cooperate with the Global Partnership for Business and Biodiversity and its associated national and regional initiatives in order to assist reporting by businesses regarding their efforts to mainstream the objectives of the Convention and its associated Protocols, as well as the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and to provide this information through the clearing-house mechanism, while also providing a global summary to the Conference of the Parties at future meetings;

[…] 

Encourages businesses: 
(a) To analyse the impacts of business decisions and operations on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and prepare action plans for integrating biodiversity into their operations; 
(b) To include in their reporting frameworks considerations related to biodiversity and ecosystem services and ensure that the actions taken by companies, including the activities of their supply chains, are captured, taking into account the objectives of the Convention, goals of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets; 
(c) To enhance the capacity of senior levels of management, line staff, and supply chains, with regard to information on the benefits of, and impacts on, biodiversity and ecosystem services; 
(d) To integrate biodiversity considerations into procurement policies; 
(e) To actively engage in the resource mobilization strategy of the Convention on Biological Diversity to support the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets […]”.