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Saint-Gobain
Companies and biodiversity
Managing impacts on the value chain
2 Companies and biodiversity - Managing impacts on the value chain
Foreword from the Chairman of EpE
Biodiversity and ecosystems: we hear and use these words more and more every day. The extent of
the impact of human activity on the biosphere is increasingly noticeable, sometimes positively, but
unfortunately most often negatively, with the current status calling for a significant shift in our collective
awareness and practices.
Companies quarry and forestry operators, public works promoters, industries using and discharging
water, to list just a few are growing more alert to the issues; law and their own environmental
awareness are encouraging them to make the shift towards avoiding, reducing and offsetting. Some
have even become experts in biodiversity: for example, linear infrastructure is progressively becoming
green infrastructure, because it can provide a degree of ecological continuity; many former quarries have
become areas of particular ecological wealth, etc.
However, this only represents an infinitely small part of regions and ecosystems whose ongoing decline is
evident and can be traced back to many other root causes. Individuals and companies all have a significant
effect on biodiversity today, indirectly in many cases: our purchases of plant, animal and mineral
products often weigh on ecosystems already weakened by decades of hardly responsible exploitation;
our discharged waste ends up in the natural environment, builds up and results in unforeseen damaging
effects.
Some human activities now weigh very heavily on nature and have become a threat to us all. And yet,
nature provides us with everything necessary for life. Clearly, therefore, it is in our interest that it prospers
rather than slowly declines.
This calls for a change in attitude towards biodiversity that EpE members, major corporations in very
diverse sectors, have already initiated: the aim is to be vigilant in reducing these indirect impacts, which
are massive because of our size, even if they are remote and diffuse. Our experience, recorded in this
brochure, shows that the gradual destruction of the living worlds balances is not inevitable, even if the
huge shift demanded requires some resources. Reacting means also providing our employees, partners,
suppliers and without any doubt our clients with a motivating and even fulfilling pathway, as shown by
experience.
As major corporations, we have the capacity to lead and influence across our entire value chains, in both
directions, upstream and downstream. We must leverage this capacity for the benefit of biodiversity as
the situation has become urgent: the scientific world regularly warns us of its rapid erosion, and we cant
remain indifferent to this call.
I hope that this brochure will stimulate activity in many other companies, enrich ours, make the demands
we place on our suppliers understood and contribute to mobilising our clients.
Thanks to everyone.
1.3 Economic opportunity and the role of the financial world. ..........................................19
1.3.1 Economic opportunity. .............................................................................................................19
1.3.2 Financial communitys growing interest...........................................................................20
1.3.3 New financial tools....................................................................................................................21
Conclusion.............................................................................................................44
Glossary.................................................................................................................45
Bibliography...........................................................................................................45
EpEs latest publications.......................................................................................46
Aknowledgements.................................................................................................47
The French (and others) regularly observe the continuing Aware of societys growing expectations from them, the EpE
degradation of biodiversity and ecosystems; companies member companies have shared their experience and the
too are beginning to note the reduction in the services tools they have developed or use to manage their depen-
provided by such ecosystems, such as the provision of raw dency and impacts on biodiversity beyond their own produc-
material, and the regulation of water quality and of the tion sites. This publication shows how the most advanced
climate. These changes are a source of growing concern companies work on their products and services, with their
for many stakeholders: scientists, NGOs and lawmakers. suppliers and clients, to reduce their impact on biodiversity.
The topic has even changed perspective, as recently em-
phasised by Jean-Franois Sylvain and Pierre-Edouard This evolution has been facilitated by the progress already
Guillain in an article in the Responsibility and Environ- made with the climate issue: this brochure addresses
ment series published in the Annales des Mines1: the aim what is called scope 3 in the context of climate. The ap-
is not to prevent the disappearance of this or that spe- proach and means of action often grow out of what has
cies or to stop the ongoing erosion, but to find the means already been done to reduce companies emissions, there-
for us all, humans in the natural environment, to evolve by paving the way for the various stakeholders to address
with our ecosystems so that we adapt to changes as yet the issue directly. Throughout this publication, we will no-
unknown to us: those shifts that have already occurred netheless see that capitalising on this climate experience
had not all been foretold. The degradation is not evenly has its limits because of the particular complexity of bio-
spread, its effects are unforeseeable; but it is happening diversity.
at an unprecedented pace and is largely irreversible once
certain thresholds have been reached. The brochure draws on some 30 concrete examples to de-
monstrate the benefits of this broader approach, its diffi-
Companies are sensitive to the risks that this degradation culties and the solutions that EpE members have found to
and these imbalances place on their business. They are incorporate this dimension in their operations. In the first
aware of the collective effect of degradation mechanisms section, it explores the dynamics that lead a company to
on biodiversity, causing concern about the issues beyond take action. Why take action on indirect impacts? How to
their direct sphere of action but also raising many ques- persuade all company stakeholders to commit to this at-
tions about what action to take: who can or must do what? times complex pathway?
From this emerges the notion of the companys broader The second section presents various solutions found by
corporate responsibility, a term that refers to the fact that companies to take action at different stages in the value
a company, in the environmental and societal context of chain: supplies, transport or the products themselves and
globalisation, is considered by society, if not by law, as their use and end-of-life.
partly responsible for what its suppliers do, the transport
of their goods, the use clients make of their products and The third section looks at emerging areas of progress
their end-of-life. Taking the first steps towards a more that everyone can use in their search for the new dyna-
collective approach, a certain number of companies are mic balances referred to above. The companies that have
starting to work on improving their understanding of how understood the challenges and taken them on board keep
they interact with biodiversity even when that interaction a watchful eye on the available solutions and new ap-
is attributable to their partners, subcontractors, suppliers proaches to better manage the interaction between hu-
or clients. mans and nature.
1 Annales des Mines, Responsibility and Environment series, July 2016 O vont les sciences de lenvironnement? [Where are environmental sciences heading?]
At its recent international conference, 1.1 Social and regulatory of the French Civil Code: Is recoverable,
the International Union for Conservation pressure under the conditions of the present sec-
of Nature (IUCN), in one of its priorities tion, the ecological damage consisting in a
for the coming four years, encouraged No regulations govern indirect impacts non-negligible prejudice to the elements
companies to report on the direct and on biodiversity in the value chain. Howe- or functions of ecosystems or to the col-
indirect dependency and impact links ver, a review of international agree- lective benefits humans derive from the
between their activities, biodiversity ments, non-financial reporting rules and environment. This new redress system
and ecosystem services. This recom- stakeholders expectations show that consists in a mechanism by which an in-
mendation to broaden their scope of companies actions in this area are co- demnity can be given for environmental
responsibility to include that of the ming under increasing scrutiny. damage, as part of non-contractual civil
companies they work with throughout liability. Economic stakeholders thus face
the value chain is increasingly found 1.1.1 Regulatory pressure many consequences as a result of eco-
elsewhere in international standards Frances recent adoption of a law on logical prejudice having been included in
and agreements. It is not yet included in biodiversity, nature and landscapes2 in- the Civil Code, as explained in the contri-
regulations, but companies have every cludes a suite of provisions expanding bution from the insurance broker Marsh.
interest in anticipating this development the economic stakeholders responsi-
to ensure the long-term viability of their bility to include biodiversity. This is the Past experience shows that attribu-
business and to meet societys growing case, for example, with the inclusion of ting responsibility could impinge on
expectations. ecological damage in the French Civil stakeholders whose economic weight
Code, the integration of the Nagoya Pro- leads to a degree of responsibility in the
This section of the brochure presents tocol and its provisions concerning eco- decisions made by other stakeholders,
the three main drivers for companies to system access and benefit sharing (ABS), subcontractors or others. The general
take concrete action and reduce their in- the management of ballast and even with nature of the new law provisions are
direct impacts: growing social and regu- raised penalties for introducing invasive reshaping the landscape in companies
latory pressure, progress in knowledge alien species to the national territory. relations with biodiversity.
and awareness of the issues, and last-
ly, economic opportunity and pressure Article 4 of the French Biodiversity Act in-
from the financial world. cludes ecological damage in Article 1247
2 https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000033016237&categorieLien=id
Thinkstock
the past to the new legislative environment. Despite this the
insurance sector agreed to cover businesses for the new
exposure. They did this by adapting their rating systems
over time as well as their recommendations on prevention
for the future.
By introducing biodiversity under the definition of envi- iodiversity (100% of the area of France) which is as well
b
ronmental damage under the French Code Civil private now regulated by law .
law - No. 2016 - 1087 of August 8th 2016, France went A ccountability applies to any person or entity,
further than any other country in the world to implement The right to act, previously mainly reserved for the Pre-
a system of accountability. The existing legal framework fect, has been extended to any person having the capacity
was thereby made significantly broader: and interest in bringing legal action.
Accountability under the European Directive was appli- F inally, registration under the Civil Code, will allow for
cable only to damage arising from harmful events occur- better legal stability for the repair of environmental da-
ring since 2007. The new French law also applies to any mage, which was formerly decided solely by case law.
prior harmful event provided the damage has not yet been
identified, Marsh is working with insurance companies to extend policy
T he law does not distinguish between exceptional biodi- wordings to include coverage for new needs and to partner
versity, the only type regulated till then, representing 17% with businesses throughout this transition for biodiversity
of the area of France (Natura 2000 areas), and ordinary risks.
1.1.2 Reporting obligations as revealed in the B&L Evolution analy- purchases is an indicator of biodiversity,
and standards sis of companies included in the Paris as the company depends on these pro-
Reading sustainable development Bourses CAC40 index3. ducts and its purchases influence agri-
reports shows that companies are The companies that have ventured fur- cultural or forestry practices; its footprint
somewhat perplexed when it comes to thest down this track are of course those depend on how the agricultural ecosys-
biodiversity. What are the relevant indi- whose business directly impacts on na- tems providing them are managed.
cators? Even if progress has been made ture (linear infrastructure, mining and
in non-financial reporting, even if climate quarries), and which have therefore a France: a pioneer in CSR reporting
reporting has enabled companies to long history and level of maturity in this The so-called NRE or New Economic
structure the Scope 1, 2 and 3 notions, area. Regulations Act adopted in 2001 made
biodiversitys inclusion in non-financial It might indeed be considered that the France the first state to require listed com-
disclosure documents is still limited, mere mention of renewable raw material panies to present non-financial reports on
4 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+REPORT+A8-2016-0003+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN
5 WWF, Living Blue Planet Report. Species, habitats and human well-being, 2015
6 http://www.epe-asso.org/le-guide-des-odd-a-destination-des-entreprises/
7 http://www.epe-asso.org/en/measuring-and-managing-biodiversity-october-2014/
Biodiversity commitment: following three mechanisms, directly are extracted from the natural environ-
ECOCERT certification or indirectly: ment. The various stages in this trans-
This certification concerns biodiversity Exploitation of renewable natural formation may have used or impacted
at the local level throughout the pro- resources (wood, cosmetics, paper, on ecosystems. The question is obviously
ducts entire value chain. It is targeted fisheries, tyres, etc.) whether this interaction is material or not,
at committed companies and provides Direct or indirect impact on nature (ex- but as for greenhouse gas emissions, the
them with guidance for structuring traction, construction, industry, agri- sum of diffuse interactions has significant
their biodiversity approach. To obtain culture, infrastructure, chemicals, consequences and it is no longer suffi-
this certification a prerequisite is to pharmaceuticals, etc.) cient to focus solely on heavy industries.
have measured and taken into account No direct impact but potential syner-
all biodiversity-related topics (cf. box gies (water treatment, tourism etc.). There is an increasing number of tools
below). available for assessing the interaction
Almost all industrial and energy com- between companies and biodiversity,
1.2.2 Qualifying links between panies have an indirect link to biodi- reflecting the diversity of the issues at
biodiversity and the company versity as their raw materials, whether stake and situations encountered. Recent
The interaction between companies and renewable or mineral, and possibly guides include these tools depending on
biodiversity generally entails one of the transformed through a series of stages, their use. The main ones are WBCSDs
8 http://www.wbcsd.org/Clusters/Ecosystems-Landscape-Management/Resources/Eco4Biz
9 http://www.mission-economie-biodiversite.com/publication/entreprises-et-biodiversite- quels-outils-pour-quelles-decisions / Only available in French
to prioritise the required actions. The fol- As explained in the EpE brochure Mea- Life cycle analysis
lowing is a non-exhaustive list of questions sure and manage biodiversity, a discus- Life cycle analysis is used to identify a
for an initial assessment of how companies sion and agreement between a company product or services environmental im-
contribute, based on five scientifically reco- and its stakeholders will enable a solid pact at each step in its life cycle and for
gnised (ordinary or exceptional) biodiversity understanding of the issues, establish several indicators. To date, there is no
erosion factors. the credibility of the assessment ap- precise and unified biodiversity indicator
The contributions by EpE members in proach and form the basis for determi- in life cycle analysis methods, and pe-
the following pages illustrate their use of ning the management priorities. rhaps there can never be one, because
certain tools. of the many factors involved (species,
Does my business degrade the soil and its ability to absorb CO2?
Does my business destroy forests? (Release the carbon stored in the soil and reduce carbon
CLIMATE absorption)
CHANGE Does my business destroy coral reefs?
Do my suppliers businesses destroy coral reefs?
What is my contribution to climate change10?
10 Combatting climate change is therefore one of the aspects of protecting biodiversity. Given the volume of work already devoted to this issue, we will not discuss it further here.
Rte et lESR
For example, RTE has signed a partnership agreement
with the Aquitaine Regional Conservatory of Natural Areas
in order to set up a vegetation management that favors
BAYER
A better understanding of biodiversity for a better preservation
Bayer is committed to a sustainable agriculture approach Initial results are promising. Farms show a good level
that respects biodiversity. Within this framework, actions of biodiversity : 160 species of ground beetles, some of
of inventorying and preserving biodiversity are taken in- which being conspicuous, have thus been identified du-
cluding wildlife useful for agriculture : pollinators, ear- ring the inventories conducted by Bayer. There are about
thworms, ground beetles ... These latter mainly feed on 1500 species in France whereas farmlands are often
crop pests and are thus beneficial insects. deemed to be poor in ground beetles by lack of study of
these lands.
In addition to the inventory carried out by the network
Surveillance Biologique du Territoire, that involves Numerous exchanges on these inventories with growers
Bayer, Bayer delves deeper into its own knowledge. Thus, of Reference Farms have allowed the assessment of
5 out of its 6 Reference Farms and some of its arboreal actions to be implemented to promote biodiversity in
sites dedicate lands to biodiversity monitoring and study their farms.
factors that can foster it (landscaping, crop rotation ...).
Total
TOTAL
LCA and Biodiversity
Lifecycle Analysis is an environmental assessment tool for the group which
serves both to guide the research (orientation towards the solutions, for
habitats, ecosystem services, etc.) and example in the field of photovoltaics), to support the development of products
the diversity of situations. Nonetheless, and their labeling (Total Ecosolutions ...) and advocacy (e.g. by comparing diffe-
biodiversity is directly impacted by fac- rent fossil electricity production (Gas and Coal) etc).
tors for which indicators exist: habitat
quality (soil and water use), pollution The impacts on biodiversity of two products can be assessed using an im-
(including ocean acidification, eutro- pact indicator measuring the impact on the Ecosystems Quality (aggre-
phication and ecotoxicity), wetlands gate indicator or endpoint).
and climate change (Global Warming This indicator makes it possible to have a comparative vision of the impact
Potential). These factors are ana- of two Solutions (ex Coal vs. Gas in electricity production, throughout the
lysed by midpoint indicators, or pro- life cycle).
blem-oriented indicators, that reveal a
potential risk (ocean acidification, land It should be noted that LCA allows only a limited approach to impacts on
use, climate change, etc.) and endpoint biodiversity.
indicators, which focus on the damage
liable to have direct consequences
(e.g., health and biodiversity). Midpoint
indicators are more precise as they are flows in LCAs could be of use for bio- 1.2.3 Including biodiversity
quantifiable (GHG emissions, acidifying diversity. in environmental accounting
pollutants, etc.), while endpoint indica- Several tools provide methods to link
tors are more open to interpretation. Current research work aims to develop natural and financial capitals. These
an LCA method that improves how bio- tools, as varied as they are, nonetheless
In 2013, I Care & Consult, at the re- diversity is taken into account, especial- serve to direct economic decision-ma-
quest of the SCORE LCA11 association, ly by incorporating local data that are king based on environmental criteria to
conducted a study to determine which relevant to biodiversity. reconcile economy and ecology within an
11 http://www.scorelca.org/scorelca/ressources_internes.php
environmentally and
socially sustainable KERING
dynamic. Kerings En- Kerings Environ-
vironmental Profit & mental Profit & Loss:
Loss Account (EP&L) the key to measuring
(cf. box), Integrated Re- natural capital and
porting and the Natu- its link with
ral Capital Protocol are ecosystem services
just some examples.
12 http://www.globio.info/background-msa
* Quelles comptabilits pour accompagner une entreprise dans la gestion des services cosystmiques? C. FEGER (AgroParisTech/MNHM) February 2016
1.3 Economic opportunity One example of this way of thinking less input that is not used by the crops
and the role of the financial is the current development of preci- grown.
world sion agriculture, which involves using
observation and forecasting tools to Michelins work on tyres to reduce the
1.3.1 Economic opportunity track the real input needs of crops in amount of natural rubber needed per
Economics is one of the drivers for re- order to reduce the quantities used. tyre as much as possible, while main-
cognition of biodiversity. Reducing raw This is a winning model for everyone taining or even improving performance,
material consumption has a positive concerned since farmers reduce their is based on a similar rationale: the sa-
effect on the upstream value chain and costs, suppliers provide advice rather vings in raw material is beneficial for
costs. than products and the soil receives both biodiversity and the company.
SOCIT GNRALE
Biodiversity cross-sectorial policy
In 2011, Societe Generale published a cross sectorial poli- projects, an independent evaluation of the potential im-
cy on biodiversity, along with its 12 sector related Environ- pacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services is required,
mental and Social (E&S) policies, with an aim to clarify and so as to ensure that an attenuation strategy with a zero
strengthen its commitment for the preservation of biodi- net biodiversity loss objective is implemented. Key bio-
versity. The policy applies to all the banking and financial diversity areas are a list of natural areas which offer a
services provided by the Group, through review processes pragmatic identification of critical habitats as defined
of both dedicated transactions and clients. These pro- by the Performance Standard 6 of the IFC (World Bank
cesses are subject to internal and external audits. Group). Many of these areas are also considered of high
https://www.societegenerale.com/sites/default/files/ conservation value, as defined by a number of multi-
documents/Document%20RSE/Finance%20responsable/ stakeholder roundtables certification schemes such as
Biodiversity%20Cross-sectorial%20Policy.pdf FSC or RSPO.
Regarding dedicated transactions, the review is carried IBAT (Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool) is used as a
out on financings and services identified as being at practical tool to identify key biodiversity areas. This inter-
risk of having impacts on protected areas (IUCN I to IV national database relies on multiple information sources.
categories) or other key biodiversity areas. For related https://www.ibat-alliance.org/ibat-conservation/login
The access criteria to this funding have, however, not brought to light
many projects so far.
One final recent example is the Na- mit to biodiversity, even if the impact is the company does not have a high direct
ture 2050 programme launched by CDC only indirect. environmental footprint, and that its in-
Biodiversit and Caisse des Dpts to clusion in the companys business is a
establish a fund to finance ecosystems Popular support for this topic in the factor in providing a sense of stimulus
adaptation to climate change. Supported community as well as among em- in their work.
financially with funding from companies ployees is the strongest driving force.
that have no direct links with the pro- In the Greenflex responsible consump- This societal expectation has led many
jects (its role is neither to compensate tion survey conducted in May 2016, 36% companies to step up their action in this
nor provide a service), the funds will be of respondents asked for biodiversity field. The following chapter looks at how
allocated to collective projects that may impact to be included on product la- they do it.
involve other forestry, agricultural or belling (22% expressed the same re-
ecosystem management companies. quest for climate)13. Similarly, many
EpE members are finding that their
In short, there is an increasing number of employees are particularly interested
reasons for companies to actively com- in the issue of biodiversity, even when
NATURE 2050
Adapting territories to climate change
and restoring biodiversity
The Paris Agreement which seeks to cap global warming at Indeed, faced with uncertainty over climate change, the best
below two degrees Celcius has now been ratified by the Eu- approach is undoubtedly to bet on the resilience of restored
ropean Commission. Even if temperature increases are kept ecosystems. This strategy is underpinned by three types of
to between 1.5 and 2, this will still have a radical impact on action designed to protect, connect and restore various diffe-
agriculture, nature and forests between now and 2050. Pro- rent types of spaces, i.e., wetlands, ecological networks,
tecting and restoring biodiversity and ecosystems also helps forests and agricultural land and urban biodiversity. The ac-
us to adapt to climate change and to limit its impacts. tions will be undertaken in partnership with the stakeholders
who provide the economic lifeblood of all territories, namely,
The Nature 2050 programme was launched on 18 October local and regional bodies, businesses, professional bodies,
2016 with the backing of a number of well-known nature associations, farmers and foresters.
conservation associations Fondation Nicolas Hulot pour la
Nature et lHomme, France Nature Environnement and Ligue The programme targets public and private sector bu-
de Protection des Oiseaux (French Bird Protection Society) - sinesses who wish to take voluntary action that goes
and the French National Museum of Natural History, to begin beyond their regulatory obligations to fund local pro-na-
the process of adapting French regions (including overseas ture initiatives. In exchange, as a measure of its commit-
territories) to climate change, starting right now. ment to climate change, for every 5 euros of funding put
This is an innovative programme given its long-term commit- up, CDC Biodiversit undertakes to restore and preserve
ment and use of natural solutions, together with its partnership- 1m of land through 2050. Both public stakeholders and
based approach that brings together stakeholders from the businesses have already signed up to the programme
research sphere, associations, managers of natural spaces, confirming Nature 2050s potential as a new tool for fun-
businesses from the public and private sectors and local and ding ecological transition at local and regional level in
regional bodies. support of public policy.
13 https://goo.gl/oZYSB0
14 An association of scientists created in 1969 to share knowledge and lobby governments to take environmental issues into account.
15 Policy Matters Issue 21 Certification and Biodiversity How Voluntary Certification Standards impact biodiversity and human livelihoods.
73% of its Resorts have Green Globe certification - the interna- And producing less waste is another major way in which
tional label for responsible and sustainable tourism - a major Club Med is limiting its indirect impact. That means crea-
factor in Club Meds efforts to promote sustainable access to ting less waste through careful management, and separa-
pristine natural surroundings. ting waste for recycling, which is working well in 80% of the
Clubs Resorts.
As part of its commitment to the environment, Club Med has
implemented a number of initiatives to preserve biodiversity 100% of wastewater is treated and recycled, and in regions
on its sites, both during the construction of new Resorts and where water stress or scarcity is a serious problem, every
once they are operational. The group is also working on redu- effort is made to reduce consumption of this highly precious
cing indirect impact throughout the value chain and working commodity.
along two lines, i.e. an eco responsible purchasing policy and
reduction in consumption. Last but not least, the Club has over 50 years experience
in managing food waste: while continuing to provide the
Two highly sensitive areas where the eco responsible pur- legendary and abundant buffets for which it is famous
chasing policy has been implemented are wood and food. worldwide, waste from the Clubs kitchens averages less
than 5%.
Club Med adopted a Wood Charter in 2007, in which it com-
mitted to purchasing exclusively PEFC or FSC-certified paper. Over and above these meticulous, best-management
And in terms of food, the group set up a Fishing Charter in practices in the everyday running of its Resorts, Club Med
2008 whereby it agreed to purchase only responsibly fished has another positive indirect influence on biodiversity: it
produce. The Club also signed an agreement with Agrisud enhances quality natural spaces in the countries where it
International to purchase produce grown close to its Resorts, is represented, thus showing that they create significant
in order to help small local producers to develop a sustai- economic value, and indirectly encouraging governments
nable market for their production, to promote small-scale and local authorities to protect nature.
Wood Since implementing this action plan in 2007, the share of legally traded,
Since the end of the 1990s, the private traceable timber purchases coming from responsibly managed and/or
sector has taken steps to exclude ille- certified forests has increased by 70%. The chain of custody certification
gally harvested wood from its supply of timber is an effective means of ensuring good forestry management
chains and only use wood from certified for susceptible species and/or in regions where governance risks exist.
sources. Multinational corporations are Saint-Gobain has chosen the FSC and PEFC certifying bodies, both reco-
the first to have implemented supply gnized for their demanding certification criteria.
policies to protect biodiversity and local
stakeholders, among other outcomes, Over 1000 sales outlets in Europe, ensuring the distribution of timber for the
as shown by the example of Saint-Go- Building Distribution sector, are certified FSC and/or PEFC. This sales outlet
bain and its timber policy. certification, that helps guarantee the continuity of the chain of custody, is a
real asset for Saint-Gobain customers. Indeed, the professional customers
Labels : certified PEFC/FSC can resell their products labelled accordingly and faci-
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for litate the obtaining of an environmental certification for the buildings they
forestry management. FSC is set to sell, the market being particularly sensitive to such labels today.
launch ForCES (Forest Certification
for Ecosystem Services) in 2017-2018. The Saint-Gobain teams specialized in selling timber have been informed
This additional certification aims to about this responsible purchasing approach for the purposes of communi-
guarantee effective management of cating to the end customer.
forest ecosystem services. In 2014, 185 Through the procurement of labelled raw materials, the certification of
million hectares of forest were FSC its sales outlets and the raised awareness of its sales people and its cus-
certified worldwide, that is 5% of the tomers, Saint-Gobain is working actively to reduce the impacts of its tim-
worlds total surface area of forests, ber purchases on biodiversity.
while over 16% of forest allocated to
Michelin
growth forest and biodiversity, use less proach, encourages the markets other
impacting harvesting machinery, etc.). stakeholders to join this initiative.
MICHELIN
Michelins approach to sustainable natural rubber
and safeguarding biodiversity
Natural rubber is an essential raw material for the pro- In 2017, Michelin will pursue its efforts to map out its na-
duction of tyres. Three quarters of the 12 million tons tural rubber supply, in collaboration with its suppliers. The
produced worldwide every year, mainly in South-East Group is currently developing an application intended to
Asia (of which half in Thailand and Indonesia), are used consolidate purchasing traceability, a prerequisite for star-
for this purpose. In order to preserve this resource and ting to consider the labeling of rubber.
control the impacts, the Michelin Group has implemented
a Sustainable Natural Rubber Approach. While rubber Michelin is keen to share this approach as much as pos-
tapping does not in itself constitute a threat for the en- sible with big global manufacturers with a view to changing
vironment, nor in particular for biodiversity, it should be the entire sector towards better agricultural practices. One
carried out in compliance with certain rules. of the most important challenges over the coming years is
increasing per-hectare yields. This is by far the most ef-
Drawn up with the help of all of its stakeholders, and fective means of controlling land pressure and reducing
especially with that of half a dozen NGOs specialized in deforestation risks against the backdrop of an increase in
environmental protection and human rights, the Sus- demand.
tainable Natural Rubber commitment drawn up in 2016
now serves as a template for the contracts with Groups In addition to this theoretical approach, the Group is getting
suppliers. The policy, which can be downloaded from the involved in very practical projects on the ground. In 2015,
Groups purchasing website (purchasing.michelin.com), Michelin set up a joint venture with an Indonesian partner,
clearly outlines the conditions for using this material, Barito Pacific, with a view to developing responsible rubber
as regards environmental factors (zero deforestation, tree plantations in Sumatra and Kalimantan, in areas that
protection of areas of High Conservation Value (HCV) have been ravaged by reckless deforestation and fires over
and areas of High Carbon Stock (HCS) as well as peat- past years. A dual sponsorship and partnership agreement
lands), social factors and factors related to human rights has been concluded with the WWF, which is helping to im-
(working conditions, prior, free and informed consent of plement the project and providing expertise in protecting
those concerned, etc.). and restoring flora and fauna.
Franck Schneider
Because of the slowing de- adopt measures to limit deforestation.
mand in China, the natural Further, there is growing discussion
rubber market has been between stakeholders to improve prac-
overproducing since 2011 tices, notably traceability and trans-
and should continue to do parency: for example, the Palm Oil
so until 2017 (source: The Dialogue initiated by BASF in 201617, or
Rubber Economist) without producers ac- https://www.icac.org/getattachment/ the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm-
tually having cut back on their production, Home-International-Cotton-Adviso- Oil (RSPO) certification applied by BASF
which means around 400,000 tonnes of raw ry-Committee-ICAC/measuring-sustai- since 2011. Some other tools are being
materials is left unused. This could be an nability-cotton-farming-full-english.pdf developed to geolocate production areas
opportunity to improve the sectors prac- to be avoided, for example, the PALM
tices. It has been compiled on the basis of (Prioritizing Areas, Landscapes and
many existing initiatives, such as the Mills) tool recently introduced by Global
Agricultural resources Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), and the Forest Watch.
Soil degradation, overexploitation of tracking indicators they use, to pro- http://commodities.globalforestwatch.org
resources, pollution, climate change mote and encourage the same best
practices. Companies that use cotton Label: The label managed by RSPO
With one-third of arable land now in a in their direct or indirect input supplies (Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil)
deteriorated state and the need for food (e.g., for their employees work clothes) concerned 21% of the worlds total palm
production set to increase 70% by 2050, can use this guide to define, support oil production in 2015. The RSPO crite-
sustainable land management is a major and progress the demands they place ria are regularly discussed and revised
issue. Around 10 commodities account for on their suppliers. by the various stakeholders to improve
the bulk of food products and their mar- production sustainability.
kets have become globalised over the past Label: the Better Cotton Initiative
30 years. This growing distance between (BCI)16 is based on six sustainable Mining and extractive resources
producers and consumers, through global production criteria for the environment Habitat destruction, pollution, climate
supply chains, has done nothing to encou- and growers. These criteria are crop change
rage sustainability of farming practices. protection, water, soil, natural habitats,
fibre quality and decent employment. Almost all sectors use raw materials
In some cases, the market has reacted and extracted by mining. This can affect
the pressure from public opinion is starting Palm oil biodiversity by destroying natural habi-
to produce change. Palm oil production has increased tats (the extraction itself but also ac-
considerably since the 2000s; it has a cess roads, nearby urban growth, etc.)
Cotton major impact on the environment and and the use of chemical products for
The extent of the area used to grow cot- health through a variety of mechanisms. mining operations (lubricants, mining
ton means it is one of the crops that The first of these mechanisms by which waste, etc.), leading to soil and water
takes up the greatest area of cultivated it affects biodiversity is deforestation: pollution, although varying significant-
land (around 2.3% of the worlds total primary forests are cut down to use the ly between countries, regulations and
cultivable land area), after cereals and land for palm groves. Only 15% of the companies. It is also a source of de-
soy. More than 100 million families are native species present in these primary forestation. According to UCS (Union
directly involved in cotton production forests survive in the plantations, and of Concerned Scientists), mining is
(Fortucci, 2002), even if the sector has the fragmentation of forests further si- directly responsible for 0.20% of defo-
tended towards concentration. gnificantly reduces their habitat. To stop restation worldwide and 2.1% of defo-
this trend, a growing number of palm restation in South-East Asia.
In 2015, the FAO published its cotton oil user industries are introducing zero
report called Measuring Sustainability deforestation purchasing policies. Of Several companies, such as EpE members
in Cotton Farming Systems - Towards a course, the pressure their purchases LafargeHolcim and Ciment Calcia (Heidel-
Guidance Framework. This report aims place on the market still results in the berg group), have been focussing on this
to introduce 69 common indicators cove- cultivated area continuing to increase, issue for some time and have developed
ring the main sustainability topics. but states are in parallel encouraged to their own biodiversity policies. One of their
16 goo.gl/xZPgkZ
17 https://goo.gl/4rBQJf
BASF France
porated into the companys economic
model and passed on to the end client?
Or what savings can the company make
to offset these additional costs? This
economic aspect also helps determine
policy, but some changes of operating
methods, when implemented early in BASF FRANCE
the process, may not be costly. The Argan Program
2.1.2 Partnerships Argan oil is an important resource for the cosmetic sector: the argan tree
Often less financially costly but more fruit contains, apart from oil, a flavonoid rich extract with anti-ageing pro-
time-consuming, partnerships between perties. The argan tree forest represents an important Moroccan endemic
a major stakeholder and their local ecosystem (800 000 ha), allowing the remuneration of more than 3 million
supplier producers can extend the people. That ecosystem is weakened by the modifications of land uses,
companys action across a far greater erosion, desertification
region. Partnerships with producers,
associations and local stakeholders can In order to stabilise it, BASF organized a partnership with LOral and a
help: network of cooperatives in Morocco, the Argan Program. It enables to op-
Develop a shared view of what needs timise the production of the plant by using all parts of it: fruits, but also
to be preserved or restored leaves.
Identify local producers needs in order
to change their production methods to This program is not only a support for womens cooperatives, but also the
adopt more sustainable practices and possibility to sensitize the partners to environmental trends and preserve
meet their need for training to main- the argan tree forest. It also reinforces the entire value chain.
tain more virtuous approaches over
Kering
KERING
Raw material supply-chains that protect and conserve biodiversity:
the example of Kering.
A priority focus within the series of sustainability targets integrated into other international and industry-wide initia-
Kering set itself in 2012 was the responsible sourcing of tives including the work of CITES.
raw materials, which for the most part come from animal
or plant sources. Since then Kering has been working to Amongst Kerings other actions, the Group has also partne-
implement concrete actions across its supply chain, notably red with the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (WFEN) in
with regards to procurement processes, as well as establi- order to better understand the impact that raw material pro-
shing cross-industry partnerships as the Group recognises duction (wool, leather, cashmere etc.) has on biodiversity and
that as a single actor they change they can create is limited. wildlife. In the case of cashmere, one of the luxury industrys
top materials, an increase in demand is posing a risk to the
In light of this Kering partnered with the International natural grasslands on which the goats graze. In response to
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Inter- this, Kering launched a programme in the Gobi Desert in 2015,
national Trade Center (ITC) in 2013 to launch the Python where in collaboration with several nomadic shepherd coope-
Conservation Partnership: a triennial research programme ratives the Group is working on ecological grazing practices,
exploring the python trade, its sustainability, animal wel- responsible animal welfare practices and the conservation of
fare practices, as well as its impact on wild populations and biodiversity. In order to strengthen the promotion and develop-
local communities. Findings and recommendations of the ment of responsible cashmere in Mongolia, the Group is also a
PCP were made publically available in 2016, and notably founding member of the Sustainable Fiber Alliance (SFA).
The certification of certain basic pro- Partnerships also involve suppliers in ter number of regional stakeholders.
ducts (commodities) and their produc- order to extend the companys strate- According to estimates, 33% of land is
tion practices would seem useful but not gy to the entire value chain and to en- already moderately or severely deterio-
the only method that can be used. For courage the supplier to adopt the same rated, and an additional 12 million hec-
example, the Rainforest Alliance recom- approach. tares is added to the list each year; this
mends steps that can be as effective as means a loss of US$40 billion worth of
certification but which cost less: 2.1.3 Sustainable management crops (and that is without taking into ac-
Define standards of land count the degradation of the ecosystem
Define how to support local producers Taking raw material management a step services18). Sustainable management of
Measure efforts: supervision further, the concept of sustainable land land could restore two million hectares
Define the target on which the com- management broadens the approach to a year, generating US$1.3 billion worth
pany wants to focus. a more diverse community and a grea- of additional output.
18 CORNELL, A., WEIER, J., STEWART, N., SPURGEON, J., ETTER, H., THOMAS, R., FAVRETTO, N, CHILOMBO, A., VAN DUIVENBOODEN, N., VAN BEEK, C., and DE PONTI, T.
Economics of Land Degradation Initiative: Report for the private sector. Sustainable land management A business opportunity. GIZ: Bonn, Germany, 2016
There is an increasing number of pro- Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), The Fo- bas contribution on p.33) and society in
grammes addressing this issue. Initial rests Dialogue (TFD) and the Sustainable general, because of the resultant im-
findings show that region-wide manage- Food Lab (SFL). balance and decrease in the services
ment can secure the quality of supplies provided by nature to humans. This is
and so reduce quality control costs. By 2.2 Acting on freight the case, for example, of the spotted
including all the stakeholders, especially transport wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii)
governments, a more positive regula- that arrived in Europe in 2008 and is
tion of the local market can be achieved. 2.2.1 Propagation of invasive responsible for the loss of up to 50% of
These approaches encourage the sharing species cherry harvests in France.
of costs and can provide investment op- The economys globalisation has led to a
portunities for investors. significant increase in freight transport Ocean freight accounts for 90% of freight
resulting in the propagation of invasive transport (expressed as freight tonne
A website to publish feedback and put alien species (IAS)19. Some animals, kilometres or FTK). In addition to the
stakeholders into contact with each plants or micro-organisms can settle content of the containers or cargo holds,
other should soon be available online. It and proliferate in the ecosystems where it provides an opportunity for many spe-
has been developed under a partnership they land, where they have no predators. cies to travel attached to the boat hull
between the World Business Council for The consequences can be considerable or in its ballast water. An empty oil tan-
Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the for the local economy (cf. BNP Pari- ker can take on up to 200,000 tonnes
ENGIE
Preventing the spread of invasive alien species ENGIE
logotype_gradient_BLUE_RGB
14/04/2015
24, rue Salomon de Rothschild - 92288 Suresnes - FRANCE
RFRENCES COULEUR
Zone de protection 1
Tl. : +33 (0)1 57 32 87 00 / Fax : +33 (0)1 57 32 87 87
Web : www.carrenoir.com
R0 G170 B255 Zone de protection 2
Zone de protection 3
The ENGIE group is a leading global player in the gas sector. In 2015, in
France alone LNG carriers unloaded 113 cargoes of gas at Elengys LNG
terminals, which can accommodate a combined total volume of almost
270,000 m3 of natural gas.
with a ballast water treatment system. The first vessel equipped with
such a system after its technical stop was the Provalys, fitted out in No-
vember 2016.
19 See glossary
According to the authors, this huge impact could increase by 18% up to 2050 with
the help of climate change that enables invasive bugs to migrate further from the
tropics and to higher elevations, and of global trade and human transportation
that give them access to new territories.
of water to ensure its stability and so of ships. It will require ships to be fitted detect and identify IAS and then imple-
transport thousands of living organisms with a ballast water and sediment ma- ment solutions to eradicate or restrict
from one end of the earth to the other. nagement system. their progression, as shown in Engies
The 2004 International Convention for example.
the Control and Management of Ships In addition to regulations, cooperation
Ballast Water and Sediment, ratified with scientists makes it possible to
in 2008 by France, includes a certain
number of measures that will come into
force in September 2017, one year after
its ratification by 30 States representing ENGIE
35% of the tonnage of the worlds fleet Detecting cetaceans sufficiently early
to prevent collisions ENGIE
logotype_gradient_BLUE_RGB
14/04/2015
RFRENCES COULEUR
Zone de protection 3
One solution for preventing such collisions is to share the location of detected
animals by centralising them on a land-based server, then sharing the data
by satellite communication. The real-time plotting of cetaceans (REPCET) sof-
Thinkstock
tware system developed by the association has been installed on the three ships
owned by ENGIE and operated by its subsidiary Gazocan.
Roland Seitre/HOP!Biodiversit
ry approaches when outside protected
maritime areas. The previous example
of REPCET illustrates this type of ap-
proach that can facilitate the coexis-
tence of animal life and human activity
in the worlds oceans.
Vinci
Companies are increasingly deemed
responsible, even if their responsibi-
lity has no legal basis, at least until
the recent reform of French biodiver- VINCI
sity law. An innovative tool to integrate biodiversity
into construction projects
The most advanced companies, aware
of the expectations society places on Biodi(V)strict is a diagnosis tool and decision support system that improves
them, have already taken into account the biodiversity potential of a construction or renovation project in a urban
these impacts and are working on re- environment. It has been designed by the Agro ParisTech school and deve-
ducing them, as part of an approach loped by VINCI Construction France, as part of the VINCI Eco-design Chair.
modelled on what they have done in the It helps combining developers obligations and environmentalistsscientific
area of public health and adapted to the requirements on a project.
needs of biodiversity.
Their actions take place at all stages in The tool uses 5 indicators:
the life cycle of their products. - The percentage of green areas on site
-The natural habitats diversity
2.3.1 From the design phase -The vegetable stratum diversity
Eco-design is one aspect of a companys -The connectivity between natural habitats on site
environmental management that in- -The soil permeability to water
volves taking into account the environ-
ment from the product design phase. It Based on these 5 indicators, the study highlights the major ecological stakes
is defined by an overarching view of the of the project and identifies new solutions in favor of the local flora and fauna.
environmental performance of products It draws a personalised roadmap, followed up all along the project.
or steps taken for its entire lifecycle
20 www.epe-asso.org/en/measuring-and-managing-biodiversity-october-2014/
Sch Environnement
an important role in mitigating land and
sea pollution.
2.3.2 On end-of-life
Moving towards circular economy in-
volves reusing waste as a source of
raw materials for other products and
activities, which in turn reduces the
extraction of virgin raw materials, re-
duces the footprint of waste treatment SCH ENVIRONNEMENT
facilities and so places less pressure Generating biogas from waste, feeding animals
on biodiversity. Thinking this way and and climate change
implementing measures with local
stakeholders can prove positive for bio- An agricultural cooperative near Sch Environnements energy recovery plant in
diversity, as shown by the Sch-Envi- Mayenne uses the waste heat from cogeneration to dehydrate alfalfa, making it
ronnement example. easier to sow.
The management of product waste Using alfalfa in crop rotations protects against pollution, both directly through
marketed or distributed throughout its its role in purifying soil nitrates and indirectly, through its ability to directly cap-
entire lifecycle is, moreover, an obli- ture nitrogen from the air so that farmers dont have to use nitrogen fertilizers.
gation for many industries subject to Alfalfa production covers the ground all year round and thus limits wind erosion
the Extended Producer Responsibility and helps conserve water, one of the critical concerns of Sch Environnement
(EPR). As this principle is becoming on its landfill site where biogas is extracted. Differentiated management of the
more and more widespread, companies energy production site and the alfalfa fields provide shelter for a large number
interest to take it into account now is in- of animal species, including insects that help fight against crop pests, and are
creasing. useful for local beekeeping with continuous pollination services.
2.3.3 Involving consumers and user The amount of recovered energy during this conservation process helps cut down
Consumers play an equally important greenhouse gas emissions, as the electricity sold and the steam come from bio-
role: they are responsible for how they gas from waste. According to some INRA studies, alfalfa consumption even re-
consume and use products and ser- duces methane production in livestock.
vices, and manage waste after use.
EDF
Urban lighting: when biodiversity helps combat
climate change and save public money
Everyone agrees on the community benefits of public lighting. Nevertheless, its
effect on Baraus petrel, an endemic bird species of Runion Island, is far from
positive. Indeed, every April, when young petrels leave their mountain nest to feed
at sea, they are dazzled and disorientated by the halo of urban light and wash up
on the coast.
In 2016, Runion National Park ran the Nights without light campaign for
20days. This campaign was made possible thanks to the partnership between
SEOR* and EDF, and with the support of CCEE**. An astronomical clock, fully
funded by EDF, is programmed to turn off street and other public lighting accor-
ding to a schedule defined by SEOR. The resultant energy savings cut the carbon
emissions from electricity produced locally using fossil fuels, and the power bill
David Dijoux
for public lighting is reduced by 10 to 20%. Moreover, the petrels chances of bree-
ding are significantly improved.
*SEOR: Runion Society for Ornithological studies
**CCEE: Runion Council for Culture, Education and the Environment
BASF FRANCE
The BiodiversID program
BASF France
BASF France division Agro focuses on res-
ponsible care of its commercial products, by
comparing their effects on the environment
and, particularly, on pollinators. Therefore,
BASF launched in 2011 the BiodiversID pro-
gram, a support system for a network of
50farmers.
The aim is to sensitize the farmers to biodiversity trends organised by BiodiversID in the fields, for example on
and to build biodiversity projects on good agricultural pollinator recognition. Those days give the opportunity
practices with them. The program is integrated into a to discuss good agricultural practices (how to handle a
European BASF platform: the BASF Farm Network, a bee strip, how to cultivate a bee intercrop, which regula-
BASF partnership of experts whose 1st conference was tion around the protection of pollinators ?...).
held in 2015.
The farms in BiodiversID are productive: they feed
Furthermore, this program has a scientific committee, 75694 pers./year (reference Perlalim/Cereopa data
composed of Arvalis-Institut du vgtal, GNIS (Seed of 2015), equivalent to the population of the city of La
interbranch org.), farmers, FARRE (Forum for Environ- Rochelle, for example.
mentally Friendly Integrated Farming), the Bees Biodi-
versity Network, ONCFS (National agency for hunting Pollinators are favoured by the crops, intercrops and bee
and wildlife), Ensaia (agronomic school) and BASF. Other fallow strips: those crops bring around 50% of pollen
programs and organisms are linked with BiodiversID: harvest for BiodiversID domestic bees (average all
Auximore, Agribird, ACTA, APCA, Symbiose association, farms - 2015). The quality and diversity of the practices
OAB, Agrifaune, etc. and of the countryside are important for a good nutri-
tion for pollinators, as more than 5 pollen families are
These voluntary farmers realise bird, small fauna, be- needed for their health. BiodiversID farms participate to
neficial and pollinator monitoring with the support of that effort by sowing diverse mixtures for them. Moreo-
experts. In return, a diagnosis is realized for each farm ver, 15 BiodiversID hives are effective, providing experts
every year to analyse its agricultural practices (soil with precise data (for example through hive weighting or
and harvesting work, productions, crop protection),its pollinic quality cartographies) and favouring exchanges
economics (number of people fed by the productions of between beekeepers and farmers on their practices.
the farm, number of employees) and the quality of the
crops and of the natural set-aside areas (paths, fallows, BASF Farm Network : https://agriculture.basf.com/en/
bushes, herbal strips). Training and technical days are Crop-Protection/Farm-Network.html
BAYER
Seeding best practices
If the goal of the sowing is to place the seed in the best
conditions for optimum sprouting, it must be accompa-
nied by good practices notably with a view to minimizing
the risk of wildlife exposure to the treated seed (seed
coated with an insecticide or fungicide). These must
therefore be planted in the soil deeply enough not to be
ingested. It is consequently necessary to bury or pick up
all seeds accidentally scattered on the surface and not to
leave an open bag unattended.
DELOITTE
How to integrate biodiversity within ones business
model?
S
hare technical and cultural knowledge to promote a dee-
CSR policy is evolving: it is acquiring a strategic edge and per and mutual understanding from all vantage points;
becoming an integrated part of new business models, in T
ransform through an addition of projects that integrate
which biodiversity is gaining presence. Biodiversity should business and/or specific products, business models and
be addressed and tackled beyond agricultural issues and corporate strategy.
simple single-scope nature conservation, to become one of
the major areas for improvement within CSR strategies. We work on a variety of projects, including:
It entails tailoring project design in order to integrate bio- The creation of a market linked with a natural resource:
diversity within activities, furthermore at the core of bu- artisanal production of dyed fabrics from indigo plants;
siness economic models. Impact reduction on natural resources: the suspension
Three key words to success: of deep sea fishing and what it entails;
E ngage with all stakeholders: foster interconnectivity P reservation of traditional knowledge: work with local
between relevant local communities, businesses, and communities to regenerate forgotten cultures and es-
NGOs; sences.
3.1 Biomimicry used for innovations inspired in this favourable to the development of bio-
way making it possible to reduce the mimicry and educating all the stakehol-
This approach, defined in 1997 by the impact of humans on ecosystems. ders involved.
US naturalist Janine Benyus, involves
transferring and adapting the prin- Of more general interest is the fact that 3.2 Bioeconomics
ciples and strategies developed by li- biomimicry encourages us to conserve
ving organisms and ecosystems, to biodiversity because it is a library of in- Bioeconomics involves the use of bio-
produce innovative goods and services novations, according to the expression mass as a raw material to manufacture
in a more sustainable manner, in order of the late Robert Barbault. many products in a variety of sectors
to take up the challenges of our society (energy, chemicals, materials and food).
and make human societies compatible The CEEBIOS (European Centre of Excel- It covers the value chain from production
with the biosphere. The purpose here lence in Biomimicry) in Senlis, France, to consumption. This discipline is pro-
is for companies to innovate by using was created to develop this discipline gressing; it is perceived as a new model
nature as inspiration to find solutions and encourage discussion and coopera- of economic development based around
that are more energy and resource ef- tion between the various stakeholders: sustainability issues (climate change,
ficient. To date, there is no study de- scientists, industry, academics, etc. overexploitation of resources and redu-
monstrating the benefits of biomimicry cing pollution), but its precise definition,
on biodiversity: the development of the The opinion handed down by the CESE the framework for its development and
helicopter, inspired by the fall of maple, (Frances Economic, Social and Environ- monitoring have not yet been establi-
hornbeam and sycamore seeds, did not mental Council) presented by Patricia shed.
actually lead to the development of the Ricard at the end of 201522 recommends
plants themselves! Strictly speaking, structuring the approach and network According to a document23 issued by the
the term biomimicry should only be of stakeholders, developing conditions French Ministry for Agriculture, 5% of the
EU Horizon 2020 Research Programmes than as living tissue. Furthermore, the placed on biodiversity, broken down by
budget is devoted to Bioeconomics (that use of biomass for biotechnologies sector, and to determine where action
is over 4 billion), signalling the impor- raises the question of conflicting uses. might best be taken.
tance of the production of biosourced
products, the development of biotechno- It would be worth encouraging more CDC Biodiversit, for its part, is conduc-
logies (green, red, white, blue and grey24) multi-disciplinary work and dialogue ting research to quantitatively assess
and new value chains. Nonetheless, the with the stakeholders in this field in or- the global impact of companies on bio-
rollout of bioeconomics raises many der to better identify the development diversity. Starting with raw materials,
questions: conditions that are effectively positive the programme aims to analyse the en-
for biodiversity. EpE was a partner in the tire value chain (cf. box below).
o perational, in terms of the limits of its Festival du Vivant25 which specifically
potential development: wont a massive opened a debate on these issues. 3.4 Discussion platforms
increase in the use of natural raw ma-
terials risk leading to overexploitation of 3.3 Value chain and In the past few years, the number of
resources even worse than at present? biodiversity footprint business and biodiversity websites
The pressure on palm oil plantations for has increased significantly, at both the
first-generation biodiesels sounded the There is a growing body of work on value cross-sector and sector levels (cf. box
alarm chains aimed at improving our understan- opposite). They all have the same pur-
e thical, regarding the manipulation of li- ding of the strategic challenges around pose: to publish knowledge, share feed-
ving organisms and its potential impact the globalisation of trade and biodiversity. back from experience and help actors to
on biodiversity: industrial seeds and progress together.
their specialised development has re- The Institute for Sustainable Develop-
sulted in fewer varieties being cultivated ment and International Relations (Iddri) All the examples in this publication
ecosystem services: there is a risk in is working on value chain governance show that companies are making head-
considering biomass as an input rather to improve knowledge of the pressures way with biodiversity issues but that the
CDC BIODIVERSIT
Global Biodiversity ScoreTM
Evaluating biodiversity is a very tricky process and spe- Therefore, the Global Biodiversity Score methodolo-
cialists agree that it can only really be done in a thorough gy seeks to reallocate these spatial impacts back to the
manner on a local scale. Consequently, the impacts of various different economic activities and businesses that
the private sector are generally assessed at project level, actually generate them.
and this greatly limits the scope of economic activities
that are actually analysed. The first phase, currently in progress, consists of eva-
luating the impacts of the production of raw materials.
To get around this problem and enable economic stakehol- The second phase will consist of using these findings to
ders to mainstream biodiversity into their calculations in a evaluate businesses entire value chains by incorporating
systematic manner, CDC Biodiversit has devised the Glo- them into spatialised Life Cycle Assessment-type (LCA)
bal Biodiversity ScoreTM. It bases its inputs on aggregate applications.
data produced by the UN Convention on Biological Diver-
sity (CBD) which provide a spatialised assessment of the Club B4B+ is open to all businesses who wish to clearly
global state of biodiversity. The CBD framework guarantees assess their links to biodiversity by participating in the
input data that are as public, transparent and consensual development and operational roll-out of this innovative
as it is possible for biodiversity-related data to be. methodology.
24 See glossary
25 http://www.lefestivalvivant.org
lentreprise RTE
an opportunity to work on the role of
this platform in supporting European
companies and their response to biodi-
versity issues. Many businesses, NGOs
and public institutions attended the
meeting, aimed at both taking stock
of what has been achieved and plan-
ning new expectations for the phase
2017-2020. They agreed to expand the
Natural Capital Accounting approach THE LINEAR INFRASTRUCTURE CLUB
to more businesses, including SMEs,
and launched the EU Community of In 2012, in France, the Linear Infrastructure and Biodiversity Club (CILB)
Practice for Finance and Biodiversity member companies, together with the National Museum of Natural History
(the EU CoP F@B), a forum of dialogue (MNHN) in Paris, France, and its French Natural Heritage Department, approved
dedicated to integrate biodiversity prio- the centralised management and sharing of their inventory data, especially the
rities within the financial sector (for flora and fauna inventories compiled as part of mandatory environmental impact
example by measuring the impacts of studies. Trials have since been conducted on standardising this data for a mas-
investment portfolios on biodiversity sive transfer in CardObs, an online tool for the management of nature data and
and by integrating biodiversity into de- the associated information (location, observations, dates, etc.), to allow it to be
cision-making). banked and used to greater effect. In 2015, following the results of these trials,
the CILB - MNHN partnership was renewed in order to provide the Museums
Global Partnership scientists with all the data. The regular transfer of this data from CardObs will
This is an initiative of the Secretariat of further enrich the Nature and Landscape Data System (SNIP).
the Convention on Biological Diversity
Since 2008, seven major linear infrastructure operators have joined this club aimed at protecting bio-
aimed at creating a link between na- diversity: Enedis, GRTgaz, RFF, RTE, TIGF, VINCI Autoroutes and VNF. In 2011, they signed the Club
tional and regional private sector ini- Charter, and since then ASFA has replaced VINCI Autoroutes, and Eiffage and LISEA have joined as
tiatives to make them more effective. new members.
The previous chapters show that the links between business and them less costly? How can we make the conservation of bio-
biodiversity are regularly growing in depth and content. After a few diversity profitable when it is difficult to place a value on the
decades in which only direct impacts were managed by mining and services provided by a given ecosystem? How do we distribute
infrastructure operators, mainly within the context of regulatory re- the cost of its conservation? Initial simple examples do work:
quirements, a growing number of companies have become more changing farming practices funded by an underground water
aware of the vulnerability of ecosystems, and their own influence, user, sustainable forestry or market gardening supported by
even indirect, on this vulnerability. clients who are willing to pay a slightly higher price, and so on.
How do we make this the norm so that economic rationality
The many examples illustrating this publication highlight the dyna- leads to flourishing biodiversity? Devoting a few per thou-
mics behind companies integration of biodiversity: buyers, resear- sandths of our resources or of the amount of an investment
chers, marketers, production services and finance departments would be a first step, but is this acceptable on a large scale for
are starting to act, stimulated if not driven by their sustainable de- all economic stakeholders? Would it be sufficient?
velopment departments.
The third difficulty is organisational: biodiversity is defined
There is hope that this integration may become a reality in the wake by the variety of local indicators specific to a product or gi-
of the awareness of climate issues, given that in just a few years, ven geographic place, and companies that do implement a
they have gone from being the concern of environment depart- procedure struggle to diversify their approach. The case of the
ments to become part of the strategic dialogue with shareholders. carbon price is exemplary: the company can set for itself an
internal carbon price for use when taking any decision. How
But many difficulties lie ahead if we are to follow the climate can the same approach be adopted for biodiversity, given the
model; they are at once conceptual, economic and organisational. infinite variety of situations and ecosystem contexts involved?
The first difficulty is conceptual: the metaphor of the Bombay This means resorting to local procedures based on individual
butterfly is well known; the same applies to biodiversity where decentralised operators. It is an efficient method when the in-
infinitely small phenomena can have extremely serious conse- dicator is as simple as operating income; but the effectiveness
quences for ecosystems despite their massiveness: introduction is far more difficult to assess when considering more complex
of the Asian predatory wasp in Europe, mycosis from South Africa indicators. The organisational challenge for switching from
that is decimating amphibians around the world. How can a com- pilot practices to a mass action is no easy feat.
pany employee working in its transport department integrate his
or her companys responsibility in its logistics? Above all, how to These difficulties mean that biodiversity cannot be managed
understand that the issue is no longer how to stop the erosion of according to the model used for climate, but rather that more
biodiversity, but rather how to ensure that ecosystems and hu- decentralised approaches must be adopted.
manity together evolve and adapt in a sustainable way, especially The many examples presented throughout this publication re-
in light of the worlds ever-growing population. We know that we veal a diverse range of methods and actions, many of which are
have to look after biodiversity, but finding the solutions is an on- successful. Using these best practices at more massive scale
going process. has not yet been achieved. Many challenges lie ahead of us!
The second is economic: building detailed knowledge of biodi- Buoyed by their collective drive, encouraged by the growing ex-
versity in a given place is difficult and time consuming; insuring pectations of society, partners, employees, and increasingly of
its protection is even more so. How can we find the economic shareholders, the EpE member companies are determined to
models that protect ecosystems in general, at a time when all pursue their efforts, and hope, in any case, that this publication
human development is tending towards a rational and uniform will prompt many of their partners to also engage in favour of
state, with processes and products being standardised to make biodiversity.
Biodiversity: Biological diversity means the variability Red biotechnology: Refers to the human and animal
among living organisms from all sources including, in- health field and includes new therapeutic molecules,
ter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosys- molecular diagnosis, tissue engineering and the deve-
tems and the ecological complexes of which they are lopment of genetic processes for therapeutic purposes.
part: this includes diversity within species, between The most ethically controversial areas are cloning human
species and of ecosystems (Definition of the Conven- cells and research into embryo stem cells.
tion on Biological Diversity).
Green biotechnology: Green biotechnology or plant
Biomass: The biodegradable fraction of products, waste biotechnology includes new molecular biology tech-
and residues from biological origin from agriculture (in- niques and its genetic applications. It covers a range
cluding vegetal and animal substances), forestry and re- of technology, such as the manipulation and transfer
lated industries including fisheries and aquaculture, as of genes, DNA profiling and cloning plant and animal
well as the biodegradable fraction of industrial and mu- genes. Green biotechnology applies to the agricultural
nicipal waste (EU definition). and food & beverage sectors.
White biotechnology: or industrial biotechnology as it is Natural capital: All renewable and non-renewable
also known, refers to the use of bacterial biological sys- environmental resources and processes that provide
tems to produce, transform or degrade molecules using goods or services to support the past, current or future
enzymatic and fermentation processes for industrial ap- prosperity of an organisation. It includes air, water, soil,
plication in the materials, chemicals and energy sectors. minerals and forests [and] biodiversity and eco-system
They are used as an alternative to conventional chemical health (Integrated Reporting <IR> definition).
processes for the economic and environmental benefits
derived from the use of renewable raw materials. White Invasive Alien Species (IAS): an allochthonous spe-
biotechnology (Germany) = Green chemicals (France) = cies whose introduction by humans (voluntarily or
Bioconversions = new transformations = industrial bio- unwittingly), installation and propagation threaten eco-
technology (Europe). systems, habitats or indigenous species, with negative
consequences for the ecology, economy or health
Blue biotechnology: Applications for environmental protec- (IUCN 2000, McNeely et al. 2001, McNeely 2001).
tion and environmental diagnosis.
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Avril 2015
Lafarge DR Mdiathque Lafarge
Mesurer
et piloter leau
Internal carbon pricing Environment & Health Measuring Business strategies Companies strategies
A growing corporate stakeholder dialogue and managing water for climate for climate mobility
practice March 2016 April 2015 March 2015 November 2014
September 2016
Companies and their Measuring and managing Corporate actions for the Measuring and managing Formation Business et Biodiversit
adaptation to climate biodiversity climate Greenhouse greenhouse gas emissions 2013
change December 2013 gas reduction practices May 2011
April 2014 November 2012
EpE would also like to thank the many represen- Finally, EpE thanks Annabelle Prin-Cojan, Head of
tatives of member companies who have shared the Environment and Communication Department
their experience and taken part in work meetings. who coordinated the Committees work at EpE and
EpE thanks the external experts, scientists and compiled the summary of all this work, together
representatives of government agencies or asso- with Ophlie Postillon.
ciations for their contribution, and in particular:
Violaine Berger (WBCSD), Sylvain Boucherand Claire Tutenuit, EpE General Delegate
Zone de protection 3