Loïc Pellissier, how can we encourage companies to do a better job of protecting biodiversity?
Biodiversity has suffered?greatly worldwide. Companies should also do more to protect it. However, they need reliable indicators that quantify the success of measures taken to?benefit?nature, writes ETH ecosystem researcher Lo?c Pellissier.?
The Swiss Biodiversity Forum of the Swiss Academy of Sciences recently published its report on Switzerland’s biodiversity. It indicates that the state of biodiversity is unsatisfactory. Although the decline has slowed since 2000 and some positive trends have emerged, these improvements are insufficient to halt or reverse the ongoing downward trajectory.
While this confirms that we have proven solutions and the know-how to better safeguard biodiversity, the real test is how to put these strategies into action on a large scale. Achieving this goal requires every section of society to step up and take greater responsibility for biodiversity.
The expert
Lo?c Pellissier is Professor of Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution at ETH Zurich and WSL and researches the relationship between landscape development and biodiversity.
So far, we have largely relied on government efforts, such as establishing protected areas or offering subsidies. However, it is increasingly evident that effective biodiversity protection requires the active participation of businesses and the private sector.
Many corporate strategies now prioritise climate protection, but biodiversity is often neglected. Tackling climate change and biodiversity loss can be inextricably linked challenges. Moorland restoration is a case in point, because intact or restored moorland acts as a carbon sink and provides an essential habitat for many highly specialised and rare flora and fauna.
One reason companies are hesitant to adopt measures to address biodiversity loss is that the benefits are difficult to measure and incorporate into financial reports – in contrast to atmospheric CO2 levels. Moreover, the risks of inaction are insufficiently quantified, leading to the exclusion of biodiversity considerations from long-term company strategies.
If companies were able to clearly demonstrate their positive impact on biodiversity and quantify their nature-related risks, they could improve their public image and be encouraged to take more action.
For companies to integrate biodiversity protection into their strategies, they need comparable data and appropriate indicators via which to measure their performance on biodiversity issues. Both are currently lacking. Without reliable indicators, it is difficult for companies to embed biodiversity protection into life-cycle analyses or environmental strategies.
Another difficulty is that biodiversity encompasses not only the sheer number of species and habitats but also genetic diversity. However, documenting this diversity requires considerable technical effort.
We are consequently exploring scalable ways to collect biodiversity data more efficiently, with the aim of deriving relevant indicators. Our research involves creating a new measurement system that allows non-experts to collect and analyse DNA traces from water or plant surfaces, transforming these traces into useful insights.
We tested the tool on the ETH H?nggerberg campus with the assistance of the ETH Sustainability team. The results showed that even small areas can be surprisingly rich in species – meaning that every square metre counts when promoting biodiversity.
The technical possibilities are available. Now we need society to treat the protection of biodiversity as seriously as it treats climate change. Biodiversity can be preserved or restored only if all stakeholders work together. This is a prerequisite for a permanently viable environment and for the survival of our society.