Environmental Management and Biodiversity

Short Summary

Development of sectoral fact sheets with information of reference of the branch to biodiversity and possible goals and measures as well as key performance indicators and indicators for monitoring. Creation of a knowledge pool. Workshops for environmental surveyors, environmental experts, auditors and companies with an environmental management system. Presentation and discussion of the results within the framework of a workshop with the EU Commission for EMAS Competent Bodies and associations of environmental surveyors.

Background

The effects of companies on biodiversity are complex and the reduction of negative impacts should be addressed systematically and continuously. So it is recommended to integrate this area of activity within business management.

EMAS III defined as the first environmental management system the biodiversity as an environmental aspect and performance indicator, i. e. all EMAS-certified organization have to check what kind of negative impacts the have on biodiversity. If it turns out that biodiversity belongs to “significant” environmental aspects, organisations are required to identify goals and measures and to integrate them into the environmental policy and program. Furthermore, the EU Commission has accounted biodiversity for a key indicator, i. e. certified organisation have to report about this aspect, in which they at least make statements about their land use. In addition they are obliged to use meaningful indicators to prove the continuous reduction of negative impacts on biodiversity.

The revision of ISO 14001 is currently ongoing and there are prospects that biodiversity must be considered within ISO 14001 in the future.

Goals

However, there have only been a few instructions and experiences how companies and communities can integrate the field of intervention in their environmental management so far. Within the framework of the project, sponsored by the BMU, the Lake Constance Foundation, Global Nature Fund and the Association for management of environment and sustainability (VNU) are developing so called “Fact Sheets” for the food production and retail food sector, cosmetics, automobile sector, theme parks and tourism. The team gets support from the Environmental Action Germany by their fact sheet about communities. In these overviews, the most important reference points of the field to biodiversity are explained and meaningful goals and measures to reduce negative influences are proposed. Additionally, these fact sheets contain proposals for intersectoral and sector specific indicators to make goals and methods measurable and to install a long-term monitoring.

Measures

The VNU checks the fact sheets from the point of view of environmental experts and ensures that the recommendations are able to validate to EMAS during implementation. Additionally the VNU supports the realization of four workshops for companies and communities, where the fact sheets and practical examples are introduced and presented.

The EU Commission also shows great interest on the results of the project and wants to introduce the fact sheets to all EMAS-relevant authorities within the European Union. With this, the implementation of similar initiatives in all member states shall be inspired.

Project Partners

• Lake Constance Foundation (Lead Partner)
• Global Nature Fund (GNF)
• Environmental Action Germany (DUH)
• Association for management of environment and sustainability (VNU)

Project Partners:

Supported by:

Project Duration:

Project Partners:

Supported by:

September 2012 – February 2014

Lake Constance Foundation, Environmental Action Germany (DUH), Association of European Sustainability- and Eco-Management Professionals (VNU)

German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA)