Biodiversity is Good for Business

Biodiversity is Good for Business



Feb 2007 - The European 
Union is developing a new initiative on business and 
biodiversity, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas told a 
meeting of PriceWaterhouseCoopers executives Thursday, 
inviting them to take part in preserving the diversity of life 
on Earth. Stopping the loss of biodiversity by 2010 is a 
political priority for the EU, the commissioner said. 
"This initiative will be based on voluntary mechanisms," Dimas 
assured the executives. "It will not be a substitute for full 
compliance with existing environmental legislation and will 
aim to promote the engagement of business beyond their legal 
requirements." 
Stavros Dimas of Greece is the European Environment 
Commissioner 
In 2001, the European Union declared the goal of stopping the 
decline of biodiversity by 2010 - a pan-European objective 
proclaimed at the EU Götenborg Council. 
Currently, the global rate of extinction is at least 100 times 
the natural rate, and an estimated 34,000 plant and 5,200 
animal species face extinction. One in eight of all bird 
species, one quarter of all mammals and one third of all 
amphibians are endangered. 
Business has a strong vested interest in preserving 
biodiversity, and the Commission's overall goal is to 
introduce biodiversity considerations into corporate 
governance, Dimas said. 
"If we can mobilize the resources and expertise of business, 
then we have a much better chance of meeting our policy 
objectives," Dimas said. 
The commissioner explained that loss of biodiversity is an 
urgent issue not only because "there is an intrinsic value to 
nature and because we have a moral duty to act as responsible 
stewards of the planet," but also because "nature underpins 
our economies." 
"Protecting nature and the interests of business are often 
presented as being at opposite ends of the spectrum, but the 
reality is very different," Dimas said. 
Construction site at Gateshead, Tyne. Development can be 
planned to cause the least disturbance to the site's plants 
and animals. 
Nature provides the life-support system upon which our 
well-being and our economies depend," he said, explaining that 
the "ecosystem services" provided by nature include the 
provision of food, fuel and medicines as well as the 
regulation of air, water and climate. 
"Healthy and resilient ecosystems are our best defense against 
the impacts of climate change," said Dimas, giving the example 
of the disaster which struck New Orleans after hurricane 
Katrina when a majority of the city was flooded. "The natural 
defences provided by coastal vegetation had been destroyed and 
as a result the damage was many times worse than it would have 
been otherwise," Dimas said. 
The commissioner said it would be useful to explore how 
eco-labeling and eco-management schemes could encourage 
businesses to improve their biodiversity performance and to 
gain public recognition for their efforts. "The business 
community is a key partner in meeting the 2010 target and 
needs to be actively engaged," he said. 
Some businesses already are paying heed to the value of 
conserving biodiversity. 
On Monday, Holcim, one of the world's largest suppliers of 
cement, crushed stone, sand, and gravel, signed a cooperation 
agreement to work with IUCN-the World Conservation Union on 
biodiversity issues relevant to the building materials sector. 

Active in 70 countries, Holcim employs some 90,000 people and 
is headquartered in Holderbank, Switzerland. 
At IUCN headquarters in Gland, Switzerland, Holcim CEO Markus 
Akermann and IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefevre, 
agreed on four main areas of collaboration:
  Review and assessment of Holcim's approach to biodiversity 
  conservation management 
  Development of a comprehensive biodiversity policy and 
  strategy 
  Identification and development of joint initiatives 
  supporting sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity 
  conservation 
  Promotion of good practice by sharing the learning with the 
  wider industry and conservation communities 
As a first project the partners will review the quality of 
biodiversity conservation activities at Holcim sites in Sri 
Lanka. Ways of facilitating existing quarry rehabilitation 
planning and implementation will be explored and Holcim Lanka 
will bring in technical expertise to contribute to the 
rehabilitation efforts of coral ecosystems. 
The use of sustainably produced biomass as an alternative fuel 
will be considered as a means of providing an additional 
source of income for communities surrounding Holcim sites. 
Holcim CEO Markus Akermann makes a point while IUCN Director 
General Julia Marton-Lefevre listens at the signing of a 
biodiversity cooperation agreement Monday. 
"The engagement with IUCN is driven by the conviction that 
biodiversity conservation issues will play an ever more 
important role in our long-term resource and reserve 
strategy," said Akermann. "IUCN and its network provide 
biodiversity expertise and enable Holcim to work more closely 
with relevant stakeholders across the world." 
"IUCN seeks intensified private sector engagement to persuade 
and enable businesses to reduce their environmental footprint 
and make a positive contribution to nature conservation," said 
IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefevre. "With its global 
presence and commitment to sustainable development, Holcim is 
an attractive partner for us." 
European regions and local governments too are getting 
involved in biodiversity conservation. 
In Oisterwijk, The Netherlands last week, a two day meeting 
brought together 200 participants from regional and local 
authorities in the 27 European Union countries. 
The Dutch province of Noord-Brabant organized the conference 
European Regions as Champions for Biodiversity 2010. The 
province was the first region to join the Countdown 2010, and 
many local authorities and other parties in Noord-Brabant and 
other parts of Europe followed. 
Conference delegates decided to develop a "down-to-earth and 
bottom-up interregional European biodiversity program" to 
bring about practical cooperation between regions and local 
authorities across Europe. 
The European kingfisher, although widespread, is endangered by 
massive development and regulations of flowing bodies of water 
that alters their habitat. 
They focused on the interaction between landscape identity and 
biodiversity, climate change and biodiversity, and support for 
safeguarding biodiversity hot spots in Eastern Europe. 
The host of the conference, Noord-Brabant’s Regional Minister 
for Environment, Nature and Water Annemarie Moons presented 
the report on climate change and biodiversity and the role of 
regions, prepared by European Centre for Nature Conservation. 
Conference participants concluded that regions should provide 
active leadership in combating the negative impact of climate 
change and in reducing the ecological footprint of regions and 
local communities. 
Young people were involved in the preparation of the 
conference and presented a video in Oisterwijk. 
Together with other youth organizations in Europe, the Dutch 
National Youth Council explored the meaning and value of 
biodiversity in Europe in the minds of people. They travelled 
by train from Den Bosch in The Netherlands to Sofia, Bulgaria, 
making a video about what they encountered and learned about 
biodiversity along the way.

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