Ecological balance is one of the three pillars of sustainable development and without it, business and society cannot function. All companies both impact and depend on ecosystems and the services they provide (e.g. freshwater, fiber, food, flood control, water purification, waste treatment).
Companies need to understand these impacts and dependencies and their associated values. The WBCSD’s Guide to Corporate Ecosystem Valuation (CEV) is the first of its kind, catering directly for the needs of business. It was developed through a process of close collaboration with businesses themselves – fourteen WBCSD members road tested the Guide*, working with four partners: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Resources Institute (WRI), ERM and PwC.
Companies must anticipate that ecosystem valuation will be more consistently incorporated into public policies, regulations, and political decisions. Ecosystem values will be increasingly considered by the finance sector and business-to-business customers as they assess the biodiversity and ecosystem-related risks and opportunities of investments and supply chains.
During the event, participants will hear about:
- How companies can use CEV to make better-informed business decisions,
- Real company experiences using the Guide to explicitly value both ecosystem degradation and the benefits provided by ecosystem services,
- Why the Guide can be described as a framework to “operationalize” The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB).
See: www.wbcsd.org/web/cev.htm for more information.
