Dear readers,

Sunday will be the International Day for Biological Diversity, a good occasion for our next newsletter. This year's theme is "Mainstreaming Biodiversity: Sustaining People and their Livelihoods". The thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 13) to be held in Cancun, Mexico from 4 to 17 December 2016 will focus on the mainstreaming of biodiversity within and across sectors, as well. Biodiversity has also become an important cross-cutting issue in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General, points out in his statement for the International Day for Biological Diversity. 

Our member spotlight in this newsletter: UPM on the role of forest fires for biodiversity. 

Yours sincerely, 
'Biodiversity in Good Company' Initiative

+++ The English newsletter is only an abbreviated version of the German newsletter edition where you will find more about our activities +++

SPOTLIGHT: Biodiversity ... at UPM!

Winfried Schaur, Executive Vice President UPM Paper ENA (Europe and North America) Winfried Schaur, Executive Vice President UPM Paper ENA (Europe and North America)
» For more than 20 years biodiversity has been a core element of sustainable forestry at UPM. Our global biodiversity programme defines clear targets and best practices to maintain biodiversity in forests – both our own and those of our suppliers. This is a key factor in fulfilling our purpose, which is to create added value from renewable and recyclable raw materials. In order to promote biodiversity in the value chain, UPM is actively involved in biodiversity work as a founding and board member of the 'Biodiversity in Good Company' Initiative.«




When foresters set forest fires ...

For more than 20 years UPM has been promoting forest biodiversity– with surprising methods. 

"It is great that maintaining biodiversity plays such an important role in UPM’s strategy. I hope that UPM’s example also encourages other companies to include ecosystem services in their environmental responsibility topics and to see the opportunities offered by new nature-based solutions in their business strategies", says Timo Tanninen, Director General, Ministry of the Environment in Finland.

Biodiversity supports ecosystem services including air quality, climate protection, water purification, pollination, preventing erosion and raw material provision. Preserving biodiversity will help to support adaptation to potential impacts on climate change. Biodiversity is also important for maintaining the health and strength of wildlife populations. For example, the population levels of species favouring fire habitats have declined in recent years due to efficient fire control and fire-free modern silviculture in Finland.

Preventing forest fires – sounds great at first, however, for some species it is a threat. Forest fires are part of the natural cycles in boreal forests like those in Finland. Seven percent of all threatened Finnish forest species are dependent on fire habitat. The characteristics of a fire habitat are plenty of sunlight, little vegetation and plenty of nutrients released at once.

Photo: UPM
After a forest fire, the amount of deadwood increases in the respective forest area. Deadwood offers nutrients for microbes, which build the basis of the forest food chain. Deadwood also offers shelter and nesting places for animals. In short, 70 percent of the biodiversity in forest habitats is directly correlated to the amount of deadwood present. And fire increases deadwood. Therefore, UPM is carrying out a project that aims to increase the quantity and quality of forest areas that have been subject to fire.

Co-operation with stakeholders

UPM has also enhanced its engagement by actively taking part in various species and habitat projects in co-operation with stakeholders.

The impacts of the prescribed burns are being studied in co-operation with researchers. Early results show that many rare and threatened fire dependent species can inhabit fire habitats in commercial forests.

Photo: UPM
This work has helped to create long-term value and established a tangible competitive advantage. Wood from sustainably managed forests forms the solid basis for our daily work as biodiversity targets are very closely integrated into UPM's research and forestry operations - now for 20 years.

Further information

Here you can find further information on UPM within the company network 'Biodiversity in Good Company' Initiative.

Please contact Dr. Stefanie Eichiner, Manager Environment & Responsibility CE, UPM Paper ENA (Europe & North America), should you have any further inquiries.

News from our Network and Member Companies

HiPP is the winner of the 2016 EMAS Eco-Management Award

HIPP was honoured as an outstanding enterprise for its EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) environmental management system. Among other things, the company was awarded for being engaged in dialogues with numerous initiatives and associations, including 'Biodiversity in Good Company'.

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Quarry Life Award: more than 450 project proposals to promote species diversity

HeidelbergCement's call for proposals for promoting odiversity in quarries even more successful than last year.

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REWE Group invests another 400,000 euros in projects for promoting more sustainable banana production

The funding also benefits biodiversity and ecosystem services.

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German Annual Business Dialogue Forum 2016 on Biological Diversity

On 15 March 2016, almost 150 representatives of companies, leading business associations, nature conservation organizations, government and authorities, academia and civil society gathered in Berlin for the 6th German Business Dialogue Forum 2016 on Biological Diversity.

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Further News

Save the date: CBD COP 13 Business and Biodiversity Forum

The 2016 CBD Business and Biodiversity Forum will take place in Cancun, Mexico on 2-3 December 2016 immediately prior to the start of the thirteenth Conference of the Parties (COP 13) to the CBD, which will be taking place 4 – 17 December 2016. The Forum will run in parallel with the Ministerial High-Level Segment of the COP.  'Biodiversity in Good Company' will participate in the event.

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Save the date: Annual Conference of the EU B@B Platform

The third Annual Conference of the EU B@B Platform will take place on 23 November 2016 back to back with the Dutch international conference “Natural Capital | Let's talk business!”. The 2016 Annual Conference will be hosted in the premises of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW) in The Hague.

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IPBES releases pollinator assessment

Although most insect pollinators have not been assessed at a global level, regional and national assessments indicate high levels of threat, particularly for bees and butterflies - with often more than 40 per cent of invertebrate species threatened locally.

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Natural capital in the focus of ISO 14.008

The International Organization for Standardization ISO has recently begun to develop ISO 14008 - "Monetary valuation of environmental impacts from specific emissions and use of natural resources", which is planned to be published at the end of 2018 as a non-certifiable standard.

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