The Private Sector
Biodiversity is an issue of strategic importance for business. It supports our world and provides the raw materials and natural assets for many businesses.
The success of farmers, foresters, tourism operators, fishermen, sporting estates and many other enterprises all depend on some aspect of biodiversity. So it's in your long-term interest to manage and harvest resources in a sustainable way.
Businesses can positively contribute to biodiversity conservation in many ways. In fact, some organisations are in business to promote understanding and enjoyment of biodiversity, including ecotourism companies and wildlife tourism operators which use nature and the environment as marketing tools to attract visitors. In addition, there are many companies that can offer you practical advice and help make your own organisation more biodiversity-friendly.
Developing biodiversity policies can ensure the understanding and management of your impact on biodiversity. Wider initiatives like conservation projects and getting employees and customers on board all help.
You can also reduce your business's overall impact on biodiversity through improving your employee's understanding of actions that, for example, reduce the amount of waste your business produces; enhance the biodiversity of your landholdings; manage your emissions to air, land and water; become a corporate member of a conservation organisation; or provide funding to projects to protect a species or habitat.
Promoting awareness of and contributing to the protection and enhancement of biodiversity can form a key part of your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme. Helping the local community and meeting your CSR targets builds positive awareness of your business.