"Practices, Solutions and the Way Forward"
Dates
11-12 November 2015
Location
Helsinki, Finland
Please see the Forum host site for additional information.
The full report of the 2015 Forum is available here.
Overview
The CBD Business Forum was held on 11-12 November 2015 in Helsinki, Finland. The meeting, which had space for 270 participants, was considerably oversubscribed. Although not all registered participants showed up, over 250 people were in attendance. These participants represented over 30 different countries from Europe and beyond, and were comprised of business representatives (about 30%), governments, NGOs and other international organizations. The meeting itself featured two opening sessions with welcoming remarks and scene-setting keynote addresses. There was then a session on Natural Capital which looked at different measures including the Natural Capital Protocols and the need to measure/value natural capital properly. This was followed by two parallel sessions on Agriculture and Extractives, and the day concluded with discussion on procurement and supply chains.
Day 2 started with a session on financing and then continued into a discussion of partnerships, featuring information on the Finnish initiative, the European Platform and the Global Partnership as well as discussion about various upcoming meetings. The final panel involved a summation of key points of the meeting as well as recommendations to be taken to COP. Although these are still being developed, they centred around improved communication and partnerships as well as the establishment of a more effective enabling environment.
A webcast of the Forum is available on YouTube:
http://videonet.fi/web/ym/20151111/ and
http://videonet.fi/web/ym/20151111/20151112.html.
Agenda
11 November 2015 (Wednesday) Session 1 - 09:00-09:40 Opening Remarks - Mr. Timo Tanninen, DG, Dept. of the Natural Environment, Ministry of the Environment, Finland
- Mr. Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister of Agriculture and the Environment, Finland
- Mr. Dongjin Kim, DG, National Institute of Biological Resources, Ministry of Environment, the Republic of Korea
- Connecting the Dots: CBD — Global framework - Ms. Amy Fraenkel, Principal Officer, SCBD
Session 2 - 09:45–10:30 Biodiversity — the Bigger Picture & Linkage to Business - Where do we stand with biodiversity? - Mr. Stefan Leiner, Acting Director for Natural Capital, DG Environment, European Commission
- What is the role and potential of business in this area?- Mr. Jason Clay, Senior VP, Food & Markets, WWF
- High-level case study 1 - Ms. Pirkko Harrela, Executive VP, Stakeholder Relations, UPM
- High-level case study 2 - Mr. Jan Kees Vis, Global Director, Sustainable Sourcing Development, Unilever
Discussion
Session 3 - 11:30–13:30 Natural Capital Mini-Seminar - Introduction- Ms. Carolin Bossmeyer, Managing Director of "Biodiversity In Good Company” Initiative, Germany
- Role of Ecosystem Services - Mr.Richard Spencer, Head of Sustainability,ICAEW
- Making the Economic Case for Better Environmental Management - Mr. Tom Barnett, Strategic Accounts Director, Trucost
- Mainstreaming natural capital in business: the case for natural infrastructure - Ms. Violaine Berger, Director, Ecosystems & Agriculture, WBCSD
- Corporate Example - Mr. Michael Beutler, Sustainability Operations Director, Kering
Discussion
Parallel Sessions 4a and 4b - 14:30–16:00 Session 4a Innovation–Extractives–Oil and Mining Mini Seminar - Introduction - Mr. Otto Bruun, Conservation Specialist, The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation
- Working in the Arctic Region and its Unique Biodiversity - Mr. Tom Barry, Executive Secretary, CAFF
- Corporate Example - Ms. Mitzi Pollisco, Principal Terrestrial Ecologist, GHD
- The View from the Oil Sector - Ms. Ana Alicia Watson Jiménez, Biodiversity Analyst, Repsol Exploración
- Corporate Example - Mr.Warwick Mostert, Biodiversity Manager, De Beers
Discussion
Session 4b Innovation–Production–Forestry and Agriculture Mini-Seminar - Introduction - Mr.Mika Aalto, Head of Division, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Finland
- The State of Agriculture and Biodiversity - Ms. Julie Bélanger, Technical Officer (Biodiversity and Environment), Secretariat of the CGRFA, FAO
- Diverse Opportunities in the Forest Sector - Mr. Timo Lehesvirta, Director, Forest Global, UPM
- Innovation along the value chain - Mr. Jason Clay, Senior VP, Food & Markets, WWF
- Corporate Example - Multi-Functional Field Margins - Mr. Romano DeVivo, Head of Environmental Policy, North America, Syngenta
Discussion
Session 5 - 16:40–18:15 Procurement and Supply Chain Mini-Seminar - Introduction - Mr. Eduardo Escopedo, Executive Director, Responsible Ecosystem Sourcing Platform (RESP)
- The Drive for Responsible Sourcing - Mr. Rik Kutsch Lojenga, Executive Director, Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT)
- Inclusion of Biodiversity in Public Procurement Policies - Mr. Wijnand Broer, Deputy Director, CREM BV
- Case Example - Mr. Jan Kees Vis, Global Director, Sustainable Sourcing Development, Unilever
- Models for Sustainable Sourcing - Ms. Kirsten Sims, Good Business Journey Analyst, Woolworths Holdings Ldt
Discussion
Welcome Reception 18:30-20:00
12 November 2015 (Thursday) Session 6 - 09:00–11:00 Finance and Biodiversity: Panel Discussion - Introduction - Mr. Strahil Christov, Policy Officer, DG Environment, Biodiversity, European Commission
- Private Sector Investments in Biodiversity Conservation - Mr. Francis Vorhies, Executive Director, Earthmind
- Financing Mechanisms for Biodiversity - Mr. Anders Nordheim, Programme Coordinator for Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Water, UNEP FI
- Approaches to Financing for Biodiversity - Ms. Eva Mayerhofer, Lead Environmental and Biodiversity Specialist, Environment, Climate and Social Office, EIB
Panel Discussion
Session 7 - 11:40–13:00 The Way Forward — Briefings Discussion
Session 8 - 13:45–16:00 Results of the Event - Panel Discussion Panel Discussion
Close of the Forum
