+ Business & Biodiversity in Ireland Hannah Hamilton @NatCap_Irl / @BITCireland / @TheRiverField
+ My four hats! All-island initiative • established by National Biodiversity Data Leading the conversation on natural • Centre & Trinity capital in Ireland College Dublin 450+ individual members • Business • • Seeking to influence policy and engagement engage business programme Postgraduate • • Ireland’s network research on for responsible Corporate business Biodiversity 80 multinational, • Governance semi state, large Investigating • Irish companies drivers of voluntary on-site engagement
+ Our starting point … 2014: Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation launched the National Plan on CSR, which included a call for companies to have ‘respect for biodiversity’ ?
+ 2014: BITCI’s Environment Review Business in the Community Ireland’s 2014 ‘Environment Review’ found that biodiversity is the environmental aspect on which Irish companies do the least This led to a two-year project to put biodiversity on the corporate agenda in Ireland Challenges in designing the project: what IS biodiversity? easy actions, easy wins urban/rural/industrial sites tenants/owners multiple sectors
+ CSR-led initiative: Biodiversity Framework for Business • Aligned to CSR objectives Connects with ISO14001 • Framed as a starting • point - not an end goal • Aim is to provide inspiration Not a standard or • certification Applicable to any • company
+ Since then … Delivering 1:1 support to member companies Raising awareness with workshops and practical events Brought NGOs on board Thematic focus: pollinators, wildflowers, woodlands, hedgerows Established a ‘Learning Network’ Case studies to date: Intel – wildflower meadow, on-site walks, embedded biodiversity in EMS + published biodiversity report Dawn Meats – integrated constructed wetland on-site Accenture – biodiversity volunteering with local NGOs + pollinator/wildflower workshop with staff Gas Networks Ireland/RTE – providing sites for an ecology post doc RTE – changing they way they manage lawns on-site Lots of interest and very positive feedback
+ Species-specific initiative: All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Co-funded by Bord Bia (Irish Food Board), whose national sustainability programme Origin Green includes a biodiversity target for businesses Business Guidelines launched in 2017 – BITCI co-authors 16 official ‘Business Supporters’ to date, 30 more in process Businesses include food/beverage companies, shopping centres
+ Natural Capital-framed initiative Irish Forum on Natural Capital Semi-state agencies on Steering Committee Bord na Mona (peat/energy) & Coillte (forests) Both undertaking CNCA Brought Natural Capital Coalition, environmental economists at PwC & eftec, Yorkshire Water to Ireland for conferences and workshops on the Protocol, CNCA & Total Impact Strong interest from multiple sectors Agri-food, water, infrastructure, extractives, energy, forestry EPL event coming up Challenges to corporate engagement: Lack of strong case studies Difficulties in terms of internal capacity & resourcing
+ The future … There is a continuum of action on biodiversity, from philanthropy and volunteering right up to natural capital accounting Great enthusiasm from private sector for current initiatives Our challenge: How to harmonise efforts in order to move companies along the continuum? How to promote learning/sharing? How to engage C-level? How to establish and resource a national Business & Biodiversity Platform? Provided for in the draft National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, due to be published in 2017
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