“Business should address biodiversity conservation’

CITING the small number of big corporations participating in biodiversity conservation, nevertheless, it was pointed out that the presence of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is needed to be actively and positively involved in biodiversity promotion.

Marcial Amaro, Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau director, said in the recent Business Opportunities in Biodiversity conference in Bayview Park Hotel, Manila, that SME operators have had a significant impact on biodiversity, albeit negatively.

“This is apparent from the profile of participants in illegal trading in endangered species,” he said.

According to Amaro, the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Prottection act allows for business in biodiversity.

Such business could be in the form of bio-prospecting, extracting wildlife byproducts or derivatives, captive breeding or propagation, wildlife farming or culture, local transport of wildlife and their byproducts and derivatives, and exportation and importation of wildlife.

“People and communities can also engage in bio-based business that is nonextractive, an example would be ecotourism,” he said.

Dr. Adachi Naoki, CEO of Response Ability Inc. Japan and executive director of Japan Business Initiative for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity, said in the same conference that people from the business sector used to believe that biodiversity was only limited to specific industries.

With the prevalence of the negative effects of biodiversity loss, businessmen conceded that concerns on biodiversity loss thrive in all sectors of business.

Naoki argued that if businesses are going to operate on a business-as-usual way, at least 7 percent is lost in the world’s gross domestic product. “Businesses should put premium attention in addressing biodiversity conservation,” he said.

Sheila Vergara, Biodiversity Information Management director, noted that in 2008, the Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) launched the Business and Biodiversity Initiative (BBI).

“An initial of 34 international companies joined the BBI and signed the Leadership Declaration committing them to implement corporate social responsibility [CSR] projects that can contribute to the 2010 goal of reducing biodiversity loss,” she said.

Two years after, 38 global companies, including Fujitsu, Ricoh, Volkswagen, among others, participated in the BBI by “setting examples in instituting ways, methods and instruments for integrating and mainstreaming biodiversity into business management and activities,” Vergara added.

Locally, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) has explored partnerships with SM Supermalls, Tagaytay Highlands, TeleTech, Absolute Chemicals, Cemex Philippines, Broadchem and Holcim to help conserve biodiversity.

Dr. Filiberto Pollisco Jr., ACB program development specialist, urged companies to initiate CSR projects that go beyond tree planting.

“The way forward now is tree growing. It’s enough that you plant trees and take pictures with you. You need to make sure of the nourishment and growth of the trees that you planted,” he said. –Anjo C. Alimario / Researcher/Writer, Businessmirror