Side Event

Business and Biodiversity: Valuing Ecosystems Services

Organizer
Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development

Date and Time
15 October 2012 13:15 - 14:45

Meeting
Eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 11)

Biodiversity is a key indicator of sustainable development. Companies rely on many of the ecosystems services which biodiversity provides. Mismanagement of biodiversity by themselves or by others poses a lot of risks to the sustainability of businesses. The way companies respond to these risks and opportunities becomes increasingly critical to ensure their profitability and longevity. Together, governments and businesses, in both developed and developing economies, can show leadership by establishing committed to a positive impact on biodiversity and ecosystems services. For this, it is necessary to understand the impact of business on biodiversity - both positive and negative. Business leaders realize that integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services in their value chains can generate significant cost savings in addition to improved reputation and greater ease in their licenses to operate. The event will promote a multi-stakeholder dialogue, with diverse perspectives and experiences, that demonstrate how companies in Brazil are incorporating information about the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services in their management strategies. The main objectives of the event are to expose arguments that support the incorporation of biodiversity in the companies; to present examples of companies that are already considering biodiversity and ecosystems in their business models; and to outline specific recommendations for the business sector on how to measure and report their impacts on ecosystems services and biodiversity. In the end of the event, it will be launched the publication “Business and Biodiversity: Valuing Ecosystems Services”.