"The preservation of biodiversity is not
just a job for governments. International and non-governmental
organisations, the private sector and each and every individual
have a role to play in changing entrenched outlooks and ending
destructive patterns of behaviour"
- Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General on the 2003 International
Day of Biological Diversity.
People everywhere depend upon biodiversity for their livelihoods,
their quality of life, and to provide basic ecological services
on which all life depends
Companies too depend on biodiversity. It helps to stabilise
the climate and provide clean air and water, services vital
for a stable operating environment. It provides raw materials,
technology and business opportunities.
Biodiversity, or the variety of life and natural systems,
is disappearing all across the globe faster than ever before.
This loss of biodiversity represents a business risk. As diversity
disappears, so do the opportunities for new products, new
technologies and new business opportunities.
As users and beneficiaries of biodiversity, businesses are
increasingly becoming involved in its management. Companies
across the world are now taking steps to halt and reverse
the trend of the decline of biodiversity.
This resource centre
can help you find out about the important role which biodiversity
plays for businesses. You can see how your sector impacts
on wildlife and nature, and what companies are doing to
help conserve and manage biodiversity.
Photo Credit: Middlemarch Environmental
Ltd, Phase 1 Habitat Survey
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