Biodiversity management in companies.

Protecting and promoting biodiversity is at least as important as slowing down climate change. According to a recent study by the World Economic Forum, biodiversity loss is considered the second greatest long-term risk to our prosperity. We spoke to Dr Ulrike Eberle and Dr Verena Timmer about how biodiversity can be integrated into corporate sustainability management.

Ulrike, how long have you been involved in biodiversity conservation?

Ulrike Eberle: I am a biologist and have been interested in environmental protection and nature conservation since my school days. I have been observing the drastic decline in biodiversity with great concern for many years. In my research and consulting work, I have also been dealing with biodiversity for a long time and how the protection of biodiversity can be incorporated into corporate management. This requires being able to measure the impact on biodiversity at the product and service level. And that was not really possible a few years ago. That’s why I was involved in applying for a research project 15 years ago to find out how a biodiversity footprint can be calculated.

That sounds exciting. Where are you today?

Ulrike Eberle: Back then, together with Jan Paul Lindner, we developed a method for estimating the impact on biodiversity in life cycle assessments, enabling us to calculate biodiversity footprints for products. The method has recently been further developed in the BioVal research project, which I led at the University of Witten/Herdecke. We now have a method and an easy-to-use Excel tool that can be used to calculate the biodiversity footprint and thus measure biodiversity. The prerequisite for integration into management systems is therefore in place.

Verena, you have also been advising companies for many years. Where do you see the greatest leverage for companies that want to protect biodiversity?

Verena Timmer: The strongest lever lies in supply chains – that is where the greatest impact on biodiversity occurs, whether in the cultivation or procurement of raw materials or in fishing. Companies can achieve the greatest effect by creating transparency, identifying risks and working with suppliers on biodiversity-friendly practices. A second lever is that companies should embed biodiversity protection in their sustainability strategy and define measurable goals.

How does your company support them in this process?

Verena Timmer: At corsus itself, we offer services that enable companies to measure their impact on biodiversity, i.e. calculate their biodiversity footprint, consider biodiversity in supplier management and, in particular, support them in integrating biodiversity into their sustainability strategy. We also think from a risk management and strategy perspective for our customers by asking: To what extent does biodiversity have a financial impact on business activities – in line with the principle of double materiality – e.g. through the potential loss of cultivation areas or cost increases in the supply chain?

What specific recommendations does your company make?

Ulrike Eberle: We recommend a step-by-step approach: first create transparency, then set priorities and finally derive concrete measures. It is important that biodiversity is understood as a continuous management process – similar to climate protection or human rights due diligence. Companies should see biodiversity not only as a risk, but also as an opportunity – for example, for more resilient supply chains or a better reputation in the market.

In the BioVal research project, we published these findings in the Biodiversity Management Practice Handbook, which provides companies with concrete guidance on how to integrate biodiversity into their management systems. The companies Ritter Sport, Seeberger and FRoSTA have tested the tools and demonstrate that integrating biodiversity management is not only possible, but also worthwhile.

In your opinion, what impact do regulatory requirements have and what role do banks play in biodiversity?

Verena Timmer: Without wanting to delve deeper into the current political discussion, e.g. on CSRD or CSDDD, the bottom line for me is clear: biodiversity will and must be higher on the agenda of companies in the future. Banks and insurance companies will continue to ask about ESG criteria and thus also about biodiversity. Companies must therefore be able to communicate effectively. This applies to their impact on biodiversity and their dependence on biodiversity.

Finally, what do you think companies should definitely take away from this?

Ulrike Eberle: Biodiversity protection is not a ‘nice-to-have’ but a key issue for the future. With the right tools, companies can integrate biodiversity into their strategy and management in a structured and pragmatic way. We are happy to support them in this!