Presentation Transcript

1. Business Ecosystems Training (BET) - U.S. Business Impacts & Dependencies Ecosystem Risks & Opportunities Barbara G. McCutchan, Ph.D., Fellow Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability at Virginia Tech
2. Agenda Ecosystem services - overview Business impacts and dependencies Going beyond the fenceline Business Ecosystems Training (BET) score card Introduction to the BET-US sessions Business Solutions
3. Ecosystem services – overview Provisioning Goods or products produced by ecosystems Regulating Natural processes regulated by ecosystems Cultural Intangible benefits obtained from ecosystems Supporting Functions that maintain all other services As described in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005.
4. Provisioning services: Goods produced or provided by ecosystems Food Crops Livestock Capture fisheries Aquaculture Wild foods Fiber Timber Cotton, hemp, silk Biomass fuel Freshwater, Genetic resources, ornamental Biochemicals, natural medicines & pharmaceuticals
5. Regulating services: Natural processes regulated by ecosystems Air quality regulation Climate regulation Global (CO2 sequestration) Regional and local Water purification and waste treatment Water flow regulation Natural hazard regulation Erosion regulation Disease regulation Pest regulation Pollination
6. Cultural services: Cultural and social benefits obtained from ecosystems Recreation Ecotourism Spiritual and religious values Educational Ethical and “existence” values
7. Supporting services: Functions that maintain all other services Nutrient cycling Primary production Photosynthesis Water cycling
8. Trends in the world’s ecosystem services over past 50 years Source: Adapted from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. 2005. Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Synthesis. Washington, DC: Island Press.
9. The business case for action Businesses IMPACT on nature Biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation create business RISKS and OPPORTUNITIES Businesses RELY and DEPEND on nature
10. Going beyond the fenceline - supply / value chains Value chain: all of the upstream and downstream activities associated with the operations of the company Supply chain: the network of organizations (e.g. manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) involved in the production, delivery, and sale of a product to the consumer. Suppliers can be separated into Tiers, each of which has different ecosystem impacts / dependencies Impacts and dependencies Ecosystem services
11. Value chain footprints – Puma 2010 GHG emissions by value chain source 2010 Water use by Value Chain Source Company activities Tier 2 supplier Tier 1 supplier Downstream value chain …
12. Value chain footprints – Unilever GHG emissions 26% 3% 2% 68% 1% Tier 2 supplier Tier 1 supplier Downstream value chain Company activities + + + + Raw materials Manufacture Transport Consumer use Disposal Water footprint approx 50% <0.1% 50% Water used in the raw material we source Water we add to the product Water used by consumers in water-scarce countries
13. Discussion questions Business Ecosystems Training Score Card
14. Discussion questions (cont.) Business Ecosystems Training Score Card
15. What are the tools you can use to manage ecosystem risks and opportunities? 2. Sharing best practices 1. Building capacity 3. Understanding existing tools
16. What are the tools you can use to manage ecosystem risks and opportunities? (cont.) 4. Assessing impacts and dependencies 5. Valuing impacts and dependencies 6. Engaging with policy makers
17. Business Ecosystems Training – Contributors All content is based on WBCSD material and publically available reports. BET curriculum and structure was designed by The structure and content development of BET was governed by an Advisory Committee consisting of WBCSD member companies and Regional Network partners, NGOs, UN and academic institutions.
18. Business Ecosystems Training US – Contributors This US customized version of BET was developed by WBCSD and U.S. BCSD, with support from:
19. Understanding the links between ecosystem services and business Introduction webinar on the basics (1.5 hour) Assessing business impacts and dependencies on ecosystems BET in the US: curriculum Managing and mitigating business impacts on ecosystems Valuing ecosystem services - an introduction
20. What’s next? Please share this with your colleagues Schedule of the next training sessions to come: To be announced Able to schedule a session close to you For any questions, please contact Kieran at sikdar@usbcsd.orgor Katie at ksarro@compete.org For more information and a current training schedule see bet-us.org
21. Business Solutions