Biodiversity and Business Network

Biodiversity and Business Network
Name	Biodiversity and Business Network
Formation	2000s
Type	Non-profit network
Headquarters	Geneva
Region served	Global

Biodiversity and Business Network

The Biodiversity and Business Network is an international coalition linking private-sector actors, multilateral agencies, and conservation organizations to integrate Convention on Biological Diversity priorities into corporate practice. The Network positions itself at the intersection of corporate sustainability, environmental stewardship, and international policy processes such as the United Nations Environment Programme dialogues and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services assessments. It convenes stakeholders from sectors represented at forums like the World Economic Forum and collaborates with institutions including the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Bank.

Overview

The Network was established to reconcile corporate strategies with global commitments such as the Aichi Targets and the post-2020 framework debated at conferences like the Convention on Biological Diversity COP15. It acts as an intermediary among actors participating in meetings at the United Nations General Assembly and initiatives led by entities such as the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund. Member firms often engage with standards promoted by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures as well as sector projects aligned with the Campaign for Nature and the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Programme.

Objectives and Activities

Primary objectives include aligning corporate value chains with the Sustainable Development Goals, translating science from bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change into business metrics, and advancing corporate disclosure frameworks endorsed by institutions like the International Finance Corporation and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Activities include convening roundtables modeled on dialogues from the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, producing guidance inspired by the Natural Capital Coalition and coordinating pilot projects similar to those run by the World Resources Institute and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Membership and Governance

Membership spans multinational companies, small and medium enterprises, philanthropic foundations, and research institutes. Notable corporate participants have included firms listed on exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange, alongside institutional investors like the European Investment Bank and asset managers comparable to BlackRock and State Street Corporation. Governance arrangements often mirror multi-stakeholder boards seen at the Global Reporting Initiative and the AccountAbility standard boards, with advisory input from academics affiliated with universities such as University of Oxford, Harvard University, and University of Cape Town.

Business Engagement and Services

The Network offers services including risk assessments adapted from methodologies used by the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, supply-chain screening tools comparable to those developed by the CDP (organisation), and training programs modeled on capacity-building work by the United Nations Development Programme. It organizes sectoral working groups similar to coalitions convened by the International Council on Mining and Metals and provides certification guidance inspired by systems like the Forest Stewardship Council and the Marine Stewardship Council. Partnerships with consultancies and auditing firms with profiles like PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young support corporate reporting and verification.

Conservation and Research Initiatives

Research initiatives orchestrated by the Network draw on data and modelling techniques used by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Smithsonian Institution, collaborating with field programs comparable to those of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the World Wildlife Fund. Conservation pilots often focus on landscapes highlighted by the Bonn Challenge and the Great Green Wall effort, and on marine areas identified through processes akin to the Commission on Environmental Cooperation. Research partners have included botanical and zoological institutions such as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the American Museum of Natural History.

Policy Advocacy and Partnerships

The Network engages in policy advocacy at venues including UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre briefings and side events at the UN Biodiversity Conference. It forms coalitions with civil society groups comparable to Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy, negotiates corporate commitments in line with pledges seen at the Glasgow Climate Pact processes, and submits technical input to negotiations led by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Strategic alliances have been formed with regional bodies akin to the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to localize biodiversity-business agendas.

Funding and Financial Mechanisms

Funding streams combine membership dues, philanthropic grants from foundations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, and project financing sourced from development finance institutions such as the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. The Network promotes financial mechanisms including biodiversity offsets, conservation finance instruments similar to those piloted by the Nature Conservancy's NatureVest, and blended finance structures modeled on programs administered by the Global Infrastructure Facility. It also advises on accessing green bond markets served by exchanges such as the Singapore Exchange and the NASDAQ.

Category:Environmental organisations Category:Business networks