12 large companies have already signed up to the CEBDS document that defines nine goals for 2030
The Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) launched today, at an event of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian Business Commitment to Biodiversity. The document, which has already been signed by 12 large companies associated with CEBDS, defines nine goals for 2030 with a focus on prevention, mitigation, compensation and generation and sharing of information. The signatories are: Anglo American, Bayer, Boticário, BRK Ambiental, Eletrobras, Equinor, Furnas, Natura, Philip Morris, Shell, Suzano and Votorantim Cimentos.
“The objective of the Commitment is to increase the engagement of the Brazilian business sector, seeking the adhesion of other companies, whether they are our members or not. This commitment is an important milestone that will be taken to COP15 on Biodiversity, in 2020, in China”, said Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS.
By joining, the CEOs of these large companies will include biodiversity conservation in their business strategies and commit, for example, to measuring their impact and dependence on environmental services. Each signatory company must commit to at least three of the nine goals. CEBDS will disclose the results of the actions taken, with regular annual monitoring. “With this, we hope to contribute to halting the current loss of biodiversity and to creating a business environment that combines conservation and economic development,” explained CEBDS technical advisor Henrique Luz.
The initiative is part of a global movement that aims to develop actions to contain the high rates of species extinction and restore the planet's vital natural systems, Business for Nature (Business for Nature). Brazil is home to the greatest biodiversity on the planet, with more than 20% of the total number of species. Due to its position, the country has a special contribution to make in meeting national and international biodiversity protection goals.
The launch of the Corporate Commitment for Biodiversity took place during the Workshop Aligning Biodiversity Measures for Business, from UNEP, which brought together experts from different countries at Casa Firjan with the aim of establishing metrics for biodiversity and helping to build a global agreement for COP15, in China, in 2020.
Goals of the Brazilian Business Commitment to Biodiversity:
- Insert the topic of biodiversity into the company's business strategy.
- Apply the mitigation hierarchy, prevent, mitigate, recover and compensate for impacts on biodiversity, throughout the life cycle of projects.
- Promote and strengthen best practices that favor the rational use of biodiversity resources.
- Develop and encourage studies, research projects, technology and innovation that contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
- Know the biological diversity of the company's areas of activity and, whenever possible, monitor and measure impacts and dependencies.
- Make the collected information publicly available, in order to collaborate with the management of the region's biodiversity and make this information transparent to society.
- Disseminate knowledge related to biodiversity and ecosystem services within the scope of its activities and value chain.
- Enhance conservation and recovery actions in the regions where the company is located, seeking a net positive impact on biodiversity.
- Engage communities located in the regions where the company operates in order to strengthen their involvement with biodiversity conservation and maintenance of ecosystem services.
