"Business and Biodiversity Initiative" presented at the UN Conference on Biological Diversity
In the framework of the 9th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 9 / CBD) in Bonn, 34 internationally active companies today committed themselves to making biodiversity conservation an important element of their corporate policies. "This is an important signal. Just as with climate protection, we will only achieve our ambitious global targets for biodiversity conservation if we involve the private sector in our efforts. I am therefore very grateful to all companies involved for their commitment. And this initiative is of course open to other companies both in Germany and abroad - from small and medium-sized companies to major enterprises", stated Matthias Machnig, State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry.
The Business and Biodiversity Initiative was launched by Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel last year. The companies that have joined the initiative sign a "Leadership Declaration", committing themselves to making the conservation of biodiversity a fixed component of their future corporate and management policies. The scope of the companies involved ranges from the tourism, timber and construction industries to financial services, the food industry and the natural cosmetics sector. Companies from Germany, Brazil, Finland, Japan, Switzerland and the US have signed up so far.
"The last Conference of the Parties in Brazil in 2006 already ascertained that biodiversity loss can only be halted if companies take on ecological responsibility in their management practices. Today, two years later, we can see how a political aspiration is taking concrete form", noted State Secretary Machnig. "The experience gained by the members of the initiative so far regarding the issue of biodiversity is very varied. Each company thus determines its own steps and goals, individually structuring the Leadership Declaration. It is not a question of being perfect already. These companies are pioneers through their willingness to join in this process."
The companies' activities are very diverse. Some have decided to improve their own environmental management, others are supporting specific measures to conserve biodiversity.
The Federal Environment Ministry plans to further advance this initiative during its CBD Presidency up to the next Conference of the Parties in 2010.