Economy and ecology are interdependent in each other hence a constant loss of biological diversity is major concern of business as it risks of increasing procurement costs, transportation costs. New government regulation and changing customer preferences also impact business. Bio-diversity is influenced with emotions and also innovation potential, hence offers businesses new opportunities and competitive adavantages.
Hence its important corporations take biodiversity management into their product planning and projects to ensure success in business while protecting biodiversity. The procument, production, marketing, sales and distribution, R & D and HR departments develop activities in sites and facilities, supply chains and material, prodcution and manufacturing processes and transport and logistics and personal which impact bio-diversity. Impact happen in bio-diversity are habitat change, Polution, climate change, invasive species, over exploitation. The business impacts are costs, brand vaue, prices, risk migitation and innovation. Combining thease impacts in a positive manner can help sustainable business development.
Using large amounts of energy, raw material, transport that emits carbaon, businesses impact heiavily on bio-diversity. The new constructions for office buildings, manufacturing facilities change habitats. If a wetland is used for a construction site, it will destroy the habitat and increse emitting of greenhouse gasses. Extracting rock from querries ploutes air and creates lung sickness among animals and humnas. Mutsui Sumitomo constructed a roof top garden of 7000 m2 in their corporate head quaters, in Tokyo.
Supply of raw materials and supply chain management need to incorporate bio-diversity ideas. large extraction of certiain material can change eco-system. Wood, Food, Fish, mineral industries need to re-consider their business practices. Product or service design need to reduce negative impacts on environment. This can be done increasing substituting, reducing and recycling options. . Positive effects can be created by using materials that contributes to the environmental conservation. Combining part of sales to a particular project is an idea.
Manufacturing emmits waste water, greenhouse gases and hazardous material that negatively impact biological diversity. The production processes needs to be optimized through improved process designs to reduce raw materials and energy needs, that reduce production costs. sustainable fish farms make less impact on environment than marine fishing.
Water is essential and scarce good. Rain water harwesting and storage in underground cisterns and collecting tanks, can reduce water required for manufacturing. A Brazilian organic sugar producer developed a new green production system, replacing traditional burnt cane harvesting which lead to biodiversity levels 23 times higher than in conventional sugarcane farms.
Transportation in business leads to the emission of greenhouse gases and dust and impact micro habitats. Increasing transportation may take invasive species to new habitats and displace native species. climate change also can modify behavior of species, reproduction, competitiveness and feeding relationships, leading to shifts of habitats.
The employees of the organisation need to train on bio diversity management to help their decision making. Their volunteering time help protect biological diversity in the neighbershoods. It can also strengthen business and employee identity. Fujitsu group staff take part in reforestation in Thailand, Borneo and in Vietnam. They have planted 1.18 million trees in 670 ha of land. Similarly there can be wide range of effects on bio-diversity and business success.
Reference : Hand Book of Bio Diversity Management
