Making the Business Case for Ecosystems
Source: WBCSD.org

If anyone understands the business case for ecosystems, it is Madeline Brien, current Assistant to the CEO of Det Norske Veritas (DNV), the independent Norwegian technical inspection foundation whose core business is safeguarding life, property and the environment.

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Ecosystems are a dynamic web of plants, animals and physical elements that interact and support one another. They include all the world's biomes: wetlands, marine environments, deserts, forests, grasslands and tundra. The services they provide -- habitats, freshwater, food, fiber and fuel, natural regulatory mechanisms, cultural resources -- underpin life itself.

They also supply the raw materials upon which many large corporations rely or which support their production processes. Ecological economists have calculated that the Earth provides some US$16-54 trillion worth of "services" to humans every year.

Yet, the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment found that two-thirds of the assessed ecosystems and their services are being degraded or used unsustainably.

Current pressure on ecosystems resulting from demographic growth and the increasing demands of industrial and economic development is negatively impacting them and threatening their ability as providers. If measures are not taken to mitigate this, some ecosystems and their services may disappear altogether.

In light of this, the FLT has been given the task of making the business case for ecosystems. Madeline believes it is a strong one. To date, initiatives aimed at protecting ecosystems and their services have been largely government-led -- through legislation or taxation -- or voluntary -- through self-imposed sectoral certification schemes, for example.

Business-inspired initiatives, while gaining in currency, are still in their infancy and are not as yet widespread across industry sectors. Says, Madeline, "Once businesses are able to comprehend the risks inherent to ecosystem degradation and take measures to mitigate the impacts of their activities, there will be an opportunity to factor them into their operations and make gains. They will also provide an opportunity to develop new ideas. The challenge will be to bring ecosystems to global business."

Some ecosystem-based enterprises, such as the forest products or fisheries industries, have clearly understood the importance of ecosystems. This awareness is reflected, for example, in the Forest Stewardship Council and Marine Stewardship Council initiatives.

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