Companies are competing, but not on the Olympics. As the importance of biodiversity for companies goes beyond reputation, they turn to tools to analyse their impacts and dependencies on biodiversity. The European Business and Biodiversity Campaign developed the Biodiversity Check for companies to analyse their impacts on biodiversity.
Bonn/London, 14 August 2012 – Using environment management systems such as ISO 14001 or EMAS, the Check examines which business units are involved, outlines fields of action and shows how companies can secure sustainable business models and generate competitive advantages. So far, almost thirty companies performed the Biodiversity Check.
Daimler AG for example, carried out a Biodiversity Check in 2011 at the Sindelfingen plant. In doing so, it recognised the economic importance of intact ecosystems and has set the course towards an environmentally friendly business practice. Having carried out the Check, Daimler provides an example of how businesses can examine its business processes and value chains in relation to biodiversity.
Iberdrola, which manages a large part of the Spanish electricity grid, also performed a Check. Their biggest problem is animals that get electrocuted by or collide with the electricity infrastructure. Snakes for example, confuse the insulators with birds, bite the lines and die from electrocution, causing a black-out. Nesting of storks on the poles is another problem for its operation that Iberdrola faces. 12 years ago the company started to address this issue and for example installed alternative nesting poles and was able to motivate the stork to "resettle".
VAUDE performed the Check in 2010. Through an analysis of the information VAUDE provided and different roundtable meetings with different departments, the Biodiversity Check gathered the different elements of VAUDE and gave them a coherent and clear picture of the breadth of biodiversity related measures they already took. In addition, it pointed out the impact of the supply chain, and that there was still room to improve the local biodiversity at the production sites.
So when it comes to business and biodiversity, competition is rising. But this time, it is not about who runs fastest, who jumps highest or who throws furthest, but the company that performs best in the field of biodiversity.
About the Biodiversity Check
The European Business and Biodiversity Campaign offers the Biodiversity Check. By using the environmental management systems EMAS III and ISO14.001 as examples, the different departments and processes of selected production plants and production lines are checked for their negative impact on biodiversity or for potential risks associated with them. The environmental report, the sustainability report and other documents are scanned by using a thematic matrix and specific questions to the different departments such as procurement, production and marketing are being asked. Based on these answers and after a round table meeting, the B&B team writes a report with recommendations for targets, measures and next steps. The Biodiversity Check does not have the depth of an environmental impact assessment, nor is it a certification or a label awarded after the process. The check is confidential which means that problems and possible obstacles can be freely discussed. The company does not commit itself to anything – not even to continue with the topic of biodiversity. Depending on the size of the analysis the B&B experts need 5 to 20 days; the amount of time for the company lies between two and four days. The costs depend on the size of the company.
More information about the Biodiversity Check:
http://www.business-biodiversity.eu/Biodiversity-Check
About the European Business and Biodiversity Campaign
The European Business and Biodiversity Campaign, led by the Global Nature Fund (GNF) was initiated by a consortium of European companies and NGOs. The goal of the project is to show the big importance of biodiversity, also from an economic point of view, and to motivate the private sector for the protection and conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The European Business and Biodiversity Campaign supports companies through Biodiversity Checks, workshops and regional biodiversity forums. Experts and other stakeholders can present their profile, company profile and case studies for free. The European Business and Biodiversity Campaign is supported by the LIFE+ Programme of the European Union.
More information about the campaign:
www.business-biodiversity.eu/
For further inquiries:
Joost Bakker
Global Nature Fund
Phone: +49 (0) 228 18 48 69 412
E-mail:
bakker@globalnature.org