projects

SUCCESS STORIES - CONNECTING BUSINESS AND BIODIVERSITY

Natural resource management and biodiversity conservation are already at the heart of your journey..

Multi-levels and -scale assessement of a agrifood brand (2023-)

To engage towards the  Science Based Targets for Nature (SBTN) assessement and actions framework

Setting scientific goals is a great benefit for companies. A robust assessment step is required beforehand. This project aims to assess the nature-related issues at the site and brand level of the company. To get a comprehensive view, this two-scale approach is applied to species and ecosystems. With a second step that applies steps 1 and 2 of the SBTN guidelines. This will allow the company to establish SBTN objectives. Our services cover all the steps to achieve a SBTN assessment & prioritize step: data collection (within the company, by species database, national nature-related data provider), data treatment inc. construction of the calculation model and GIS mapping and analyse, calculation and analysis of the results incl. SBTN requirements, creation and presentation of the reports.

This consultancy is carried out in partnership with the consulting firm BLévolution (France).

Windfarm biodiversity footpring (2022-2023)

Going beyond the legal obligations in the context of a net positive future

Developing wind power in the most biodiversity-friendly way is essential to a successful energy transition. We assessed the lifetime biodiversity footprint of a wind farm. That has enabled  to understand what are the biodiversity issues such a project and how that approach fits into an infrastructure project. In addition, steps have been taken to align the footprint of this case with the United Nations Global Framework for Biodiversity and Planetary Boundaries. Our services covered all aspects of such a project: data collection (scope 1, 2 and 3), construction of the calculation model, calculation and analysis of the results, creation and calculation of footprint reduction measures, creation and presentation of the final report.

This consultancy was carried out in partnership with the consulting firm BLévolution (France).

BIODIVERSITY PERFORMANCE SCHEME (2020-2021)

Building an ambitious biodiversity approach

The client is a major player in the beverages sector. The work included the definition of strategic biodiversity goals, objectives, and targets that are aligned with global frameworks. It also embraced the conception of implementation guidelines specifically tailored to a business unit with about forty brands around the world. Built using the most up-to-date tools, the strategy and guidelines have established concrete steps to be taken at both, the business unit and brand levels. This led to design relevant actions aimed at reducing the impact on priority species for direct operations and lessening the biodiversity footprint at the supply chain level. The strategy is built upon the principles set out by the Science-Based Targets for Nature Network and by IUCN. The guidelines rely on globally recognized tools, indicators, and metrics.

 

Biodiversity footprint assessment (2021)

Putting in motion a biodiversity strategy at the country branch level

The client is the country branch of an actor in the mineral water sector with three local production sites. Work so far has involved assessing their biodiversity footprints, with supply chain data currently being gathered, calculated and analyzed with a proprietary supply chain assessment tool. Carried out within a consortium, the ongoing project is to result in a key actions adapted to the specific dynamics of each production site which will also encompass the activities of relevant suppliers.

Accelerating corporate engagement (2021)

Building capacity for a global corporate engagement

The client is the Head Office of a multinational company with a very significant number of consumer brands around the world. Work so far has involved supporting formal in-house discussions on the feasibility of a biodiversity commitment through the provision of high-level technical advice and strategic insights along with recommendations on potential solutions. These services eased and nurtured internal decision-making processes that may lead to a corporate engagement for biodiversity of global significance.

Triggering biodiversity policy (2021)

Raising the bar on biodiversity

The client is a major manufacturer from the Food, drink, and tobacco sector aiming at encompassing existing biodiversity-relevant policies into a clearer understanding of its overall activities. The project included the revision of all data collected along with the sourcing. A number of advisory sessions were facilitated to build an in-house understanding of the remaining steps to be taken in order to develop a credible biodiversity strategy. This capacity building work included an introduction to the most up-to-date biodiversity impact assessment tools available and the enactment of a series of recommendations to enable the company to fulfill its ambition to make a public commitment to biodiversity conservation in the near future.

Business & biodiversity initiative (2018-2019)

Setting up a biodiversity platform for Swiss businesses

The private sector is increasingly being called upon to become more involved. This project sponsored by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment FOEN led to the launch of a multi-stakeholder platform for business & biodiversity.

As part of a multidisciplinary team working within the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), our role was to bring together several major Swiss companies into what became the Swiss Business for Nature platform. We jointly worked to build up the corporate partners’ capacity and improve on their biodiversity performance. This innovative scheme also resulted in the creation of new links within the Swiss sustainable development community that are relevant to international initiatives focused on business and biodiversity.

biodiversity performance for license to operate (2018-2019)

Helping a mining company to build its biodiversity commitment

The extractive sector is an important economical driver for many low/middle income countries. As part of a multidisciplinary team, our role was to support Rio Tinto in its commitment to a Positive Net Gain approach in its Malagasy operations.

We helped the company to benefit from an advisory committee (the BNRMC Committee) which assesses and provides guidance on the company’s activities in relation to biodiversity, natural resource use, community involvement, and the local economy. In addition to facilitating critical discussions, both online and onsite, our work helped to strengthen the exchanges and common understanding on both sides. We also began monitoring the implementation of the committee’s recommendations.

biodiversity performance of local producers (2010-2017)

Integrating biodiversity performance in local food production

Local producers of the food sector experience their impact and dependency on biodiversity on a daily basis. When land-use or agricultural regulations change, good biodiversity practices become an advantage.

In this project that saw the creation of a sustainability-oriented regional park in the Jura Mountains of the Swiss canton of Vaud, the collaboration brought together producers and distributors in creating a certification scheme integrating biodiversity targets and actions specifically tailored to each product category. These standards were built through co-creative processes and subjected to external audits. The adequacy and transparency of the requirements were thus guaranteed, and the results continue to be monitored today.