Guidelines
Guide to Corporate Ecosystem Valuation
Ecosystem valuation is a complex topic with extensive jargon and rapidly evolving techniques. Although a multitude of related guidelines already exist, none cater directly for the needs of business. This report provides an approach that businesses can follow and rely upon. Click here to download.
Corporate Biodiversity Reporting and Indicators
The IUCN French Committee prepared this study to help French companies improve their biodiversity reporting methodologies. However, the guidance is applicable to all countries, legal contexts and industry sectors.
Business and ecosystems : ecosystem challenges and business implications
Over the past 50 years human activity has altered ecosystems faster and more extensively than ever before; the main finding of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, a four-year, international, scientific appraisal of the condition and trends in the Earth’s ecosystems. To read about the challenges and implications for businesses click here to download.
Case Studies
A Framework for Corporate Action on Biodiversity and Ecosystems
The objective of this framework is to contribute to the integration of biodiversity and ecosystem services into business activities and to engage the top management of companies in the development, implementation and disclosure of BES policies and practices, in order to reduce risks, manage related impacts and seize opportunities. Click here to download.
The Time for Biodiversity Business
In an effort to strengthen IUCN Members’ capacity to develop even more successful businesses, the IUCN Business and Biodiversity Programme embarked on a project to determine IUCN Members’ experiences in developing biodiversity businesses as part of their conservation programmes. This project generated three products:
The Time for Biodiversity Business case study illustrating a selection of the many great businesses developed by the conservation organizations that participated. Also available in French, Spanish and Japanese.
A powerpoint presentation, A guide to enterprise development for conservation organisations, providing initial ideas on how to set up biodiversity businesses.
A report on Lessons learned from building biodiversity businesses for conservation, summarising the key lessons shared by the participants.
Decision Support Tools
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ provides taxonomic, conservation status and distribution information on plants, fungi and animals that have been globally evaluated using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. This system is designed to determine the relative risk of extinction, and the main purpose of the IUCN Red List is to catalogue and highlight those plants and animals that are facing a higher risk of global extinction. Click here to find out more.
IBAT for Business: Global Biodiversity Decision Support Platform
The extent to which you can effectively assess, manage and report on corporate biodiversity risk will differentiate you among your competitors and ensure your continued license to operate. To do so, your businesses needs a convenient way to access and use the most up-to-date biodiversity information. The Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) is an innovative decision support tool designed specifically to meet this need. Developed through a partnership comprising four highly respected environmental organizations, IBAT compiles critical biodiversity data in accordance with globally accepted standards. Now, instead of searching through multiple databases to identify biodiversity risks, your business can access this information through IBAT’s easy to use, online, mapping tool. For more information, visit the IBAT website.
Protected Planet World Database on Protected Areas
ProtectedPlanet.net is the online interface for the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), a join project of IUCN and UNEP, and the most comprehensive global database on terrestrial and marine protected areas. ProtectedPlanet.net lets you discover the protected areas of the world through exploring the maps and intuitive searching, feeding you information from the WDPA, photos from Panoramio and text descriptions from Wikipedia. Click here for more information.
Useful tools developed by other organisations
The Corporate Ecosystem Services Review
A tool produced by WBCSD consisting of a structured methodology that helps managers proactively develop strategies to manage business risks and opportunities arising from their company’s dependence and impact on ecosystems. It is a tool designed for strategy development, not just for environmental assessment. For more information, visit the WBCSD website.
