IPBES and Business: mutual benefits in the future

iucnwbcsdThe challenges to maintain, sustainably use, and restore, where needed, biodiversity and ecosystem services are complex, and require the contribution of all stakeholders to develop effective solutions. The need to engage business in IPBES is two-fold:

On the one hand, business will benefit from IPBES as it will set the reference for credible and relevant scientific knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Businesses are encouraged, and in many instances incentivized, to find sustainable solutions to avoid, minimize, and offset their impacts on ecosystems. Methods and tools emanating from IPBES could support decision-making on business environmental strategies and policies, the measurement of ecosystem impacts and dependencies as well as accounting and reporting. Additionally, the provision of knowledge from IPBES could set the foundations for market-based mechanisms, like biodiversity offset frameworks. Using information from IPBES would give more credibility to mechanisms used by businesses and help improve their environmental standards, therefore increasing business competitiveness and innovation.

On the other hand, involving business in IPBES will bring important, value-adding legitimacy to IPBES. Businesses are providers of information and can therefore contribute to the generation and assessment of knowledge: good practices developed for the sustainable use of biodiversity for instance are valuable sources of knowledge to be assessed by IPBES. Businesses are also decision-makers and have an important role to play in the conservation, use and management of biodiversity and ecosystem services upon which they depend. Business brings complementary perspectives to the ones from governments, which will help identify and prioritize the most relevant information gaps to be addressed by IPBES.


IPBES and Business: mutual benefits in the future

iucnwbcsdThe challenges to maintain, sustainably use, and restore, where needed, biodiversity and ecosystem services are complex, and require the contribution of all stakeholders to develop effective solutions. The need to engage business in IPBES is two-fold:

On the one hand, business will benefit from IPBES as it will set the reference for credible and relevant scientific knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Businesses are encouraged, and in many instances incentivized, to find sustainable solutions to avoid, minimize, and offset their impacts on ecosystems. Methods and tools emanating from IPBES could support decision-making on business environmental strategies and policies, the measurement of ecosystem impacts and dependencies as well as accounting and reporting. Additionally, the provision of knowledge from IPBES could set the foundations for market-based mechanisms, like biodiversity offset frameworks. Using information from IPBES would give more credibility to mechanisms used by businesses and help improve their environmental standards, therefore increasing business competitiveness and innovation.

On the other hand, involving business in IPBES will bring important, value-adding legitimacy to IPBES. Businesses are providers of information and can therefore contribute to the generation and assessment of knowledge: good practices developed for the sustainable use of biodiversity for instance are valuable sources of knowledge to be assessed by IPBES. Businesses are also decision-makers and have an important role to play in the conservation, use and management of biodiversity and ecosystem services upon which they depend. Business brings complementary perspectives to the ones from governments, which will help identify and prioritize the most relevant information gaps to be addressed by IPBES.

For more information, please consult the dedicated IUCN pages accessible here.

WBCSD's press release on the establishment of IPBES from June 2010.

WBCSD-IUCN statement that was presented to the third Intergovernmental and Multi Stakeholder Meeting on IPBES gathered in Korea from 7 to 11 June 2010.

WBCSD's position on IPBES included in WBCSD’s public policy report published for the CBD’s COP10 October 2010 .