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Activities and Outputs SWG 6

Background

Sectoral Working Group 6 “Ecosystem Services in Business”  was created in November 2014 and has started to work on:

  • Identifying research gaps in the science of NC and ES applied to business;
  • Drafting a paper on “Natural capital accounting for business – what applications?”;
  • Collaboration opportunities on the themes of ES accounts for business, greener supply chains / procurement, ES in environmental impact assessment (including offset design), business opportunities based on ecosystem-based approaches (their roles in the supply of ES), investing in ecological infrastructure, the implications of CBD CoP 12 business decisions (e.g. on business reporting frameworks).

Recent activities

During the ESP Regional Conferences in 2018 Business Tracks were organised to enhance business-science collaboration. For the upcoming ESP10 conference a Business Day will be organised in cooperation with SWG6 members.

1. Ecosystem Services in Business Group working together with the Natural Capital Coalition
On November 8 2015, the Sectoral Working Group Ecosystem Services in Business co-facilitated a Natural Capital Protocol workshop with the Natural Capital Coaltion (Mark Gough) and Conservation International (Rosimeiry Portela). The aim of the workshop was to get insights on a draft protocol and sector guides for better decision making including the impacts and dependencies we have on nature. The workshop included discussions on scope, structure, content and applications of the framework and practical examples trough a pilot-testing.

2. Ecosystem Services in Business session within the 8th ESP Conference
On November 10 2015, the “Ecosystem Services in Business” session took place within the main 8th ESP conference. The session aimed to: Discuss the state of the art of global research and practice on the Business – Natural Capital Nexus, mainly (but not exclusively) through the lens of Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) for business; showcase case studies in key business applications / contexts; identify research gaps / needs; and make tangible links with the broader discourse on greener, more inclusive development.
Here the titles and authors of the presentations. You can contact them for access to the PowerPoints.

Name Organization Title of presentation
Joël Houdet ACTS, ALCRL – UP, ISS, Synergiz Net Natural Capital Impact: how can project-based no-net-loss approaches inform corporate accounting and reporting?
Shelley Lizzio EWT – NBBN The South African National Biodiversity and Business Network
Filipa Saldanha Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Blue Natural Capital and a sustainable business strategy in Portugal
Alistair McVittie SRUC Influences, Practices and Opportunities for Corporate Ecosystem Valuation: The Use of Ecosystem Services Valuation for Decision Making in Multinational Companies
Christine Fürst Karlsruhe Institute of Technology How to operationalize Ecosystem Services (ES) in spatial planning – Opportunities for businesses
Constant Hoogstad Endangered Wildlife Trust Eskom/Endangered Wildlife Trust partnership 1996 – 2015, working together to reduce impacts of the business on biodiversity
Fonda Lewis Institute of Natural Resources Climate change, ecosystem vulnerability, and potential business impacts in the Lesotho highlands
Anya Phelan Queensland University of Technology Evaluating Social Externalities: the Case of Coal Seam Gas Megaprojects in Queensland, Australia
Carlos Eduardo Frickmann Young Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro From private to the public: measuring the contribution of Private Nature Reserves “Salto Morato” and “Serra do Divisor” to local economies in Brazil

 

Other Conference outputs

  • 2022 Europe ESP conference: Change the system: bridging the gap between ecosystem services science and the integration of natural capital approaches in business decision-making, Book of Abstracts, Presentations, Recording
  • 2021 Europe ESP conference: Business and Ecosystem Services in Research and Practice, Book of Abstracts, Presentations & Recordings
  • 2021 Africa ESP conference:Accounting for Ecosystem Services: (1) Policy support for protected areas and (2) Integrated capitals thinking to promote and support sustainable decision making in Africa, Book of Abstracts, Presentations
  • 2019 ESP10 world Conference: ES research applications in corporate action: increasing impact, unlocking opportunities and driving innovation via the ESP Business Track Book of abstracts, Presentations
  • 2018 Latin America ESP Conference: Ecosystem services in business: from theory to practice Book of Abstracts, Presentations
  • 2016 African ESP Conference:  Business-focused perspective on investments in ES  Book of abstracts
  • 2016 Asia ESP conference:  Business and ES: a multi-stakeholder shared experience in ES coinvestment Book of abstracts, Presentations