Greetings from BEDO Biodiversity and Business Sustainability Forum, Bangkok, Thailand
How can companies protect biodiversity sustainably? BEDO (The Biodiversity-Based Economy Development Office) from Thailand and the GNF (Global Nature Fund) have been exchanging ideas on this topic for many years. One result is the Biodiversity Check for companies, which is now in great demand not only in Europe but also in Thailand.
Thailand is the 20th most biodiverse country in the world. So it was exactly the right place to organize the Business & Biodiversity Business and Sustainability Forum, to which Marion Hammerl, President of the GNF and Stefan Hörmann, Managing Director of the GNF were invited as speakers. The two presented current developments on business and biodiversity at international level and in the EU to an audience of one hundred representatives from companies, authorities and associations in Bangkok. The government and companies in Thailand are following the EU's position on nature conservation very closely. After all, Thai companies are also directly affected by regulations such as the EUDR. From the end of the year, commodities such as coffee, palm oil and natural rubber may only be imported if no deforestation takes place in the countries of origin. This makes it all the more surprising for many participants that the EU member states themselves have not yet passed the planned EU Restoration Law.
As far as corporate engagement is concerned, all participants agreed that SMEs need to be more involved and supported in making a contribution to the sustainable use of biodiversity. BEDO and GNF want to expand their cooperation in the future, for example on sector-specific checks such as those developed by GNF in the UBI project and in the development of a biodiversity check light for SMEs.
In addition to the Biodiversity Check, BEDO supports biodiversity-friendly products manufactured by local cooperatives. For larger companies, BEDO will increasingly promote measurement and reporting of biodiversity with the biodiversity footprint and via natural capital accounting and support the companies in the process. There will also be an intensive dialogue with the GNF in this regard.