The why, what, and how of corporate biodiversity action

An introduction for manufacturing companies

With almost 70% of wildlife already lost at what seem to be accelerating extinction rates, upwards of USD 20 trillion in economic damages from lost ecosystem services a year, and another USD 53 trillion globally at risk from further biodiversity losses, it is abundantly clear that business as usual is no way forward. Current business practices cause too many negative impacts on society, not just on nature but also on human health. The feedback effects from these negative impacts find their way back to corporations through various channels, including direct or supply chain dependencies, and legal, regulatory, reputational, and financial exposure risks. There can and have been delays in these feedback mechanisms, but today, they may have accumulated to the point where corporate biodiversity action makes sense not just from a moral standpoint, but also from a purely economic one. This report provides a first view of what this may entail for companies, especially those in manufacturing, that are ready for real corporate biodiversity action.