This page provides indicative information on some of the existing private sector biodiversity initiatives. Contact us to amend or provide additional information.

Business & Biodiversity Resource Centre
http://www.businessandbiodiversity.org

The Business & Biodiversity Resource Centre aims to raise awareness of biodiversity and provide information and practical advice for companies to engage with biodiversity issues. The Centre is hosted by Earthwatch Europe and supported by Innogy plc and the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)
609 Mission Street, 2nd Floor
San Francisco, California 94109
USA
http://www.bsr.org

BSR is a global organisation that assists companies to meet commercial targets whilst respecting ethical values, communities and the environment. It provides companies with advisory services, information resources and cross-sector opportunities to network, collaborate and solve problems. Its key emphasis is on promoting the use of corporate social responsibility. BSR has over 1,400 member and affiliate businesses. 

The Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) 
11 Arlington Street
Boston, MA 02116-3411
USA 
http://www.ceres.org

The CERES coalition is a network of 80 NGOs, investors, analysts and interested members of the public who engage in an innovative forum with corporations to discuss environmental and social practice. More than 70 companies of all sizes have signed up to the CERES principles, which consist of a 10-point code of environmental conduct.

Center for Small Business and the Environment 
PO Box 53127
Washington DC 20009
USA
http://www.aboutcsbe.org

The Center for Small Business and the Environment recognises the large cumulative effect thousands of small businesses can have on environmental problems and possible solutions. The Center aims to promote small businesses that are already exploiting lucrative opportunities in environmental protection, pollution prevention, eco-efficiency and resource conservation. This allows the Center to disseminate lessons learned to thousands of other small businesses. 

The Energy and Biodiversity Initiative (EBI) 
http://www.theebi.org/

EBI is an industry and NGO partnership convened by Conservation International's Center for Environmental Leadership in Business. It aims to develop tools and guidelines for integrating biodiversity into oil and gas development. The initiative seeks to be a positive force for biodiversity conservation by bringing together four major energy companies and five leading conservation organisations to share experiences and build on intellectual capital to create value and influence key audiences. These participants consult with other stakeholders from industry, academia and the environmental community to produce outputs with broad dissemination.

The initiative is structured into four working groups: the Business Case group promotes the rationale for integrating biodiversity conservation; the Biodiversity Conservation Practices working group works on identifying and implementing best practices and conservation techniques; the Metrics group is developing performance indicators for measuring impacts on biodiversity caused by oil and gas operations; and the Site Selection group is developing criteria for deciding whether to operate in biologically sensitive environments.

Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC)
Avenida Hidalgo 502
68000 Oaxaca, 
México
http://www.fsc.org/

In response to a wide acceptance that forest resources should be managed sustainably, and a growing public awareness and consumer preference for ecolabelled products, wood product certification schemes have proliferated. The FSC is an international body which accredits certification organisations in order to guarantee the authenticity of their claims. The goal of FSC is "to promote environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests, by establishing a worldwide standard". Examples of national/regional forest certifications are the forest products marking programme of the Canadian Standards Authority (CSA) (http://www.csa-international.org/certification/forestry), the Pan-European Forest Certification Council (PEFC) (www.pefc.org), and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) (http://www.afandpa.org/forestry/sfi/menu.html).

The Global Mining Initiative (GMI)
Global Mining Initiative
c/o 6, St James's Square
London SW1Y 4LD
United Kingdom
http://www.globalmining.com

The GMI is a coalition of ten multinational mining companies with the aim of promoting the development of corporate social responsibility in the mining sector and assessing mining's contribution to global sustainable development. The initiative's wide remit includes stewardship of natural resources and biodiversity. The GMI created the two-year Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD) project.

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
Keizersgracht 209
1016 DT  Amsterdam
The Netherlands
http://www.globalreporting.org

The GRI is an international, multi-stakeholder effort to form a consensus for voluntary reporting of the economic, environmental and social impacts of industry. Its mission is "to elevate the comparability and credibility of sustainability reporting practices worldwide". The GRI incorporates the active participation of businesses, accountancy, human rights, environmental, labour and governmental organisations. The most advanced of the GRI schemes is environmental indicators, and four specific biodiversity indicators are in use: the amount of land used by a business and the type of ecosystem contained thereon; habitat changes due to operations; impacts on protected areas; and programmes for restoration of native ecosystems and species.

Greening of Industry Network 
Kurt Fischer
The George Perkins Marsh Institute
Clark University
950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610-1477 
USA
http://www.greeningofindustry.org

The Greening of Industry Network is an international association of researchers and policy-makers that aims ultimately to alter industry practice in order to progress toward a sustainable society. It is developing a new research area on the greening of industry, and promoting dialogue between researchers and users of research findings in business and government. 

International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA)
Monmouth House
87-93 Westbourne Grove
London W2 4UL
http://www.ipieca.org

Established in 1974, IPIECA is an international organisation representing the oil and gas industry on key global environmental issues. Members are drawn from private and state-owned companies as well as national, regional and international associations. IPIECA monitors the evolution of international agreements on biodiversity and identifies opportunities for positive action by the industry, as well as linking expertise within the industry to external stakeholders. 

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
1, rue de Varembé
Case postale 56
1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland
http://www.iso.org

ISO, founded in 1947, is an umbrella organisation for national standards bodies from some 140 countries. Its mission is "to promote the development of standardization and related activities in the world with a view to facilitating the international exchange of goods and services, and to developing co-operation in the spheres of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity" .

Focus on biodiversity: the ISO 14000 series provides an environmental management tool for businesses; it does not set absolute norms, rather it provides a means for businesses to continually improve their environmental performance. Biodiversity aspects can be directly integrated into a company's ISO 14001 standards.

Marine Aquarium Council (MAC)
923 Nu'uanu,
Honolulu,
Hawaii 96817
USA 
http://www.aquariumcouncil.org

MAC is an international, not-for-profit organisation that brings together stakeholder groups with a common interest in the future of the marine aquarium industry and the biodiversity that it is reliant upon. Thus, collectors, importers and retailers meet with aquarium keepers, conservation organisations and government agencies to discuss all aspects of the reef to retail supply chain. Its mission is "to conserve coral reefs and other marine ecosystems by creating standards and certification for those engaged in the collection and care of ornamental marine life from reef to aquarium". 

Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
Unit 4 Bakery Place
119 Altenburg Gardens
London SW11 1JQ
United Kingdom
http://www.msc.org

The MSC was brought into being through a partnership between WWF and the multinational Unilever, and has since developed an environmental standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. It uses a product label to reward environmentally responsible fishery management and practices. Consumers concerned about overfishing and its environmental and social consequences will increasingly be able to choose seafood products which have been independently assessed against the MSC standard and labelled to prove it, giving an assurance that the product has come from a sustainable fishery. An increasing number of restaurants, supermarkets and fishmongers are sourcing fish bearing the MSC logo.

Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development project (MMSD) 
http://www.iied.org/mmsd

MMSD was an independent two-year programme aimed at maximising the contribution of the mining and minerals sector to sustainable development at all levels. Begun in 2000, the project was commissioned by the Global Mining Initiative and has been organised by the International Institute for Environment and Development (both detailed above). The aim throughout the project was to produce a clear agenda for global change in the minerals sector that is based on careful analysis, that is understood and supported by many key stakeholders, and that identifies mechanisms for progress. 

The key elements of the project's diverse activities were: research and analysis to identify priority issues; engagement of all stakeholders affected by mining, leading to an ongoing programme of communication exchange regarding processes and outputs; and planning a systematic and consensus-based commitment to defining project outcomes and implementation strategy. The project's Final Report is downloadable from http://www.iied.org/mmsd/finalreport/index.html. The dialogue initiated by MMSD is expected to be carried forward into the future. 

World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) 
4 chemin de Conches
1231 Conches-Geneva
Switzerland
http://www.wbcsd.ch

WBCSD is a coalition of over 160 international companies united by a shared commitment to sustainable development via the three pillars of economic growth, ecological balance and social progress. The Council's members are drawn from more than 30 countries and 20 major industrial sectors. WBCSD also benefits from a global network of 35 national and regional business councils and partner organisations, involving some 1,000 business leaders globally. Its mission is "to provide business leadership as a catalyst for change toward sustainable development, and to promote the role of eco-efficiency, innovation and corporate social responsibility". 

Download Biodiversity Resources. A companion volume to Business & Biodiversity: The Handbook for Corporate Action.