2 April 2006

The latest meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity has just ended in Curitiba, Brazil. UK Minister for Biodiversity, Jim Knight, has emphasised how important it is for business to be involved with all aspects of biological diversity if we are successfully to achieve to spiralling rate of extinction of species and achieve the Biodiversity Targets set for the year 2010.

It is now fourteen years since the inauguration of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a Convention which can be argued to be one of the most important the world has ever attempted to implement, and certainly amongst the most controversial and difficult. People had realised that loss of biodiversity was a real threat to the stability of the biological systems of the planet and thus all our livelihoods. Disagreements, abstentions and diversionary tactics have not been uncommon and still continue – this is a political arena, after all – but, through the regulations now enforced all around the world, including the UK and the EU, the CBD has affected all our lives

You will remember that the CBD was adopted during the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, “to promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity for the benefit of present and future generations.” The Curitiba meeting in Brazil was the eighth Conference of the Parties to the CBD and lasted from 20-31 March 2006. It’s principal aim was to move everyone on with the 2010 Biodiversity Target to achieve “a significant reduction in the rate of loss of biological diversity by 2010, as a contribution to poverty alleviation and the Millennium Development Goals.”

Jim Knight, the UK’s Biodiversity Minister, said at the Conference that there must be “more engagement with business at both international and national levels” and the UK Government has issued a press release quoting from Jim Knight’s speech:

“Our biodiversity and natural resources are the world’s greatest asset and they are declining rapidly. Business must play a part in helping us reach the 2010 target for halting the loss of biodiversity; we cannot hope to achieve our aims otherwise.

“I believe that we achieve more collectively than individually and I don’t think that unity across government is enough. We need unity of purpose across all sectors – public, voluntary and private.

“There is a growing commitment by governments around the world in encouraging companies to adopt best practice on the management of biodiversity.

“I have found an increasing number of business people willing to sit down and talk about the importance of biodiversity, and to turn that talk into action.

“The potential impact of business on biodiversity is huge, as a user of vital ecosystem services but also as a contributor to ecosystem change. It follows that business has an important role to play in addressing the challenge of biodiversity loss.

“Governments must provide encouragement for companies to engage on these issues. We need to put ourselves in the minds of the profit making sector. This is about asking not what business can do for biodiversity but what biodiversity can do for business.

“By understanding supply chains, by understanding how brands like Fair Trade have added value for producers, by understanding the commercial drivers, we can develop some currency in then asking business to do more for biodiversity.

“We need to change the view [that many people still see business’ main role as providing additional funding for biodiversity projects] and highlight the mutual benefits which can be realised by better business management of biodiversity in their operations and products.

“I believe there is a growing recognition by companies of the business case for managing their impacts on biodiversity as part of their approach to managing business risks in general, but particularly their performance and reputation.

“The efforts that many companies are making to improve their performance on biodiversity is welcome, but we need to draw others into the circle. I strongly encourage business to get the message across to colleagues in other companies.”

“It is our job to ensure our natural environment is protected and sustainably used for future generations.”

The UK Government notes that work to engage business in biodiversity issues is a key feature of the Government's international biodiversity delivery plan as part of its World Summit on Sustainable Development commitment to significantly reducing the loss of biodiversity by 2010. This includes encouraging sustainable trade as well as influencing business to minimise and mitigate their impacts on biodiversity.

We do not often find ourselves in line with the present government’s thinking, but we do concur with the thrust of the above.