BUSINESS AND BIODIVERSITY: The International Context

Transcription

1 BUSINESS AND BIODIVERSITY: The International Context 18 July 2013 Braulio F. de Souza Dias Executive Secretary Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity

2 PRESENTATION OUTLINE Biodiversity Definitions and Concerns What is Biodiversity What is Biodiversity Loss The Value of Biodiversity The Business Case for Biodiversity What the CBD is Doing Aichi Targets and NBSAPs / The Nagoya Protocol CBD and Business Engagement

3 WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY? The Convention on Biological Diversity defines biodiversity as follows: Biological diversity" means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.

4 BIODIVERSITY LOSS Human pressures increasing the rate of species loss to 1000x the natural background rate This includes many rare, unknown and keystone species While an eco-system may appear viable, ongoing loss makes it vulnerable and move it to a tipping point or crash Source: WWF/ZSL

5 THE VALUE OF BIODIVERSITY Ecosystem Services is a concept used to define the value of an ecosystem/ biodiversity to human economics The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) defines it as the direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human well-being Overexploitation is resulting in drastic declines in biodiversity and resultant ecosystem services

6 SOME EXAMPLES OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Conserving forests avoids greenhouse gas emissions worth US$3.7 trillion Global fisheries underperform by US$50 billion annually Coral reef ecosystem services support 30 million people Green products and services worth over US$46 billion Bee keeping generates US$213 million annually in Switzerland Tree planting enhances life quality in Canberra ($20 million benefits)

7 THE BUSINESS CASE There are many sound business reasons for companies to be concerned about Biological Diversity and overall sustainability These factors can be classified as risks and opportunities The two are often the flipside of the same issue

8 RISKS Negative Corporate Images/Boycotts Government Legislation Poor Relations with Other Stakeholders Clean-up/Compensation Costs Higher Insurance Premiums Scarcity of Resources

9 OPPORTUNITIES Market Leadership/Enhanced Reputation Good Relations with Regulators and Other Stakeholders Lower Insurance Premiums Access to New Eco-Conscious/Ethical Funds Long-Term Stability of Supply and Viability Enhanced Employee Loyalty Bio-prospecting/Bio-mimicry Embracing Changes in Ways of Doing Business Lower Overall Supply Management Costs

10 THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY The CBD is one of the Rio Conventions Biodiversity (CBD) Climate Change (UNFCCC) Desertification (UNCCD) Opened for signature on June 5, 1992 Came into force on December 23, 1993 Currently 193 parties to the Convention CBD Secretariat based in Montreal with staff of 100+

11 STRATEGIC PLAN AND NBSAPs Parties to the Convention agreed to a Strategic Plan for The Decade of Biodiversity Plan includes 20 specific biodiversity targets (Aichi Targets) arranged by 5 strategic goals The Aichi Targets are to be incorporated into National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plans (NBSAPs) All the targets have relevance to business, but some directly call for private sector action or are sector specific

12 ACCESS AND BENEFITS SHARING The Nagoya Protocol provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD The fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources!""#$$%&'%(#)#*"%+#$',+"#$% IN EXCHANGE FOR: -./+%.)0%#1,/&.23#%$4.+#%'5%&4#%2#)#6&$ 2#)#6&$%0#+/7#0% 5+'8%&4#/+%,*3/9.*')%

13 SYNERGIES WITH OTHER CONVENTIONS CBD working with other Rio Conventions Rio Conventions Pavilion features business day and events Pavilion is now present at all COP meetings

14 THE CBD AND THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS Rio+20 (UN Conference on Sustainable Development) has moved conversation forwards Rio+20 saw significant participation by business and other stakeholders Ongoing policy dialogue on post 2015 agenda Sustainable Development Goals to replace Millennium Development Goals Critical role of biodiversity recognized in The Future we want CBD COP-11 encouraged Parties and others to consider the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity in developing the post-2015 agenda and SDGs COP-11 requested Executive Secretary to collaborate with UN and Convention secretariats in the process of developing SDGs All stakeholder groups will need to be involved in these discussions

15 CBD AND BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT During COP 10 (Nagoya 2010), parties drafted a business decision calling on Governments and Business to engage on mainstreaming biodiversity concerns into the private sector Parties reaffirmed and strengthened this decision at COP 11 (Hyderabad, 2012)

16 THANK YOU Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity 413 Saint Jacques Street, Suite 800 Montreal, QC, H2Y 1N9, Canada Tel: Fax: secretariat@cbd.int