companies adjusting to ecosystems serving them
Unless business reduces its ‘operational footprint’, major economic losses are forecasted due to scarcity of raw materials, higher operating costs, government restrictions and reduced flexibility.
So warns the World Business Council on Sustainable Development in a report this week.
WBCSD President Björn Stigson said: “Business simply cannot function if ecosystems and the services they deliver – like water, biodiversity, food, fiber and climate regulation – are degraded or out of balance. There must be a value attached to natural resources, and businesses need to start understanding this value.”
Over the past 50 years human activity has altered ecosystems faster and more extensively than ever before in human history. That is the main finding of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment1 (MA), a four-year, international, scientific appraisal of the condition and trends in the Earth’s ecosystems.
The MA identified six interconnected challenges that are of particular concern for business as these further affect the integrity of ecosystems and their capacity to provide services:
- Water scarcity
- Climate change
- Habitat change
- Biodiversity loss and invasive species
- Overexploitation of oceans
- Nutrient overloading.
This “Issue Brief “explores the six challenges, discusses their implications for businesses and provides examples of corporate responses.
What’s the business case? Business and ecosystem services are inextricably linked. Corporations not only affect ecosystem services but also rely upon them. Because of these inter-relationships, the trends and six challenges identified pose significant risks to companies (as well as to their suppliers, customers and investors). At the same time, these trends and challenges can create new business opportunities.
Published by Ken on November 24th, 2006 tagged Systems Thinking
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November 29th, 2006 at 5:46 am
[...] Human activities behind the recent stabilization of atmospheric methane? Companies adjusting to Ecosystems Serving them. Healthy ecosystems are gradually gaining recognition for their role in healthy business. [...]