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COP 9 Decision IX/26

IX/26.Promoting business engagement

The Conference of the Parties,
Recalling its decision VIII/17,
Noting with appreciation the initiative of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union of holding a high-level conference on business and biodiversity in November 2007,
Welcoming the efforts of Germany, including through its Business and Biodiversity Initiative, to mobilize the business community for the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties,
Welcoming the support of the Netherlands for the organization of a third informal “business and the 2010 biodiversity challenge” meeting, to further develop ideas that could best be pursued through the Convention or in support of its objectives, for engaging business in biodiversity issues, as a means of working towards the 2010 target,
Noting with appreciation the efforts of the Secretariat to engage the business community, including through the designation of a focal point for business,
Recognizing the potential impacts of business operations on biodiversity and the role that the business community and civil society need to play for the implementation of the three objectives of the Convention, at all levels,
1.Invites Parties, as appropriate, to improve actions and cooperation for enhancing the engagement of the business community, including small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular through the development of public-private partnerships, in the implementation of the three objectives of the Convention;
2.Urges Parties to continue to raise awareness on the business case for biodiversity;
3.Encourages public and private financial institutions to include biodiversity considerations into all investments and to create investment schemes to promote sustainable business activities;
4.Requests the Global Environment Facility, and invites Parties, other Governments, and relevant organizations to support capacity-building in developing countries, in particular the least developed and the small island developing States among them, and Parties with economies in transition, for engaging the business community in the implementation of the Convention;
5.Welcomes the framework for priority actions to be undertaken by the Secretariat contained in the annex to the present decision, subject to the availability of resources, and requests the Executive Secretary, where possible and appropriate, to take into account relevant initiatives by Parties and organizations.
Annex

FRAMEWORK OF PRIORITY ACTIONS ON BUSINESS, 2008-2010

1.While there has been notable progress in mobilizing the business community on biodiversity since the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, relatively few companies, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises, are aware of the business and biodiversity linkages or the relevance to business of negotiations carried out under the Convention. With this in mind, and following on from decision VIII/17, the present note sets out the priority actions to be undertaken by the Secretariat in the period 2008-2010:

Priority area 1: Build and promote the business case for biodiversity

2.Continue the compilation and dissemination of information on the business case for biodiversity, including experiences generated in the framework of the UNCTAD Biotrade Initiative, through the clearing-house mechanism, the CBD newsletter on business, and mainstream business forums.
3.Develop options for incorporating biodiversity into course curricula, including through the development of case-studies and other teaching material.

Priority area 2: Disseminate tools and best practice

4.In collaboration with relevant organizations, such as the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling (ISEAL) Alliance, compile information on the use and impact of international voluntary certification schemes towards the implementation of the objectives of the Convention and develop knowledge sharing and technical assistance tools to encourage the wider uptake of best practice. Activities would further include:
(a)Compile, specifically in relation to small and medium-sized enterprises, experiences and practices that foster the sustainable use of biological resources that have been developed and implemented by Parties;
(b)Make the information available through the clearing-house mechanism;
5.In collaboration with relevant organizations and initiatives, such as the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Programme (BBOP), compile and/or make available: (a) case-studies; (b) methodologies; tools and guidelines on biodiversity offsets; and (c) relevant national and regional policy frameworks’
6.Disseminate tools and best practice of companies involved in biotrade.
7.Compile and disseminate, including through the clearing-house mechanism and the Convention’s newsletter on business, information on procurement policies that are in line with the objectives of the Convention.
IX/25IX/27