The development of conservation techniques, monitoring and management of biodiversity give an edge to responsible companies concerned with the ecosystems in which they operate.

Companies owning large tracts of land, or whose activities cause impacts on habitats and ecosystems, must keep a pro-biodiversity agenda. This kind of initiative, when it is specific to its facilities and respects local biodiversity priorities and national and international regulations, is the mother cell of sustainable development.

FBDS believes that biodiversity is an essential corporate practice, and this is why it offers guidance in adopting pro-biodiversity actions, utilizing the following key elements: 

1. Biodiversity Conservation
Specific planning for the facilities establishes land management and habitats in terms of the local, regional and national objectives and priorities. The areas allocated for conservation are identified to guarantee awareness of the contributors, training opportunities, an accurate assessment of the impacts from local decisions, and setting a standard for communicating progress and performance.

2. Sustainable Use of Biological Resources
Many companies consider that the most significant impacts are linked to direct or indirect use of the surrounding natural resources. An action plan must guarantee that activities of any kind use these resources on a sustainable basis, which requires working together with suppliers so that the latter improve their own environmental performances and also look for new certificated sources. There are several certification platforms with an increasing focus on issues referring to biodiversity that may be applied to the supply chain - including those prepared by FSC, MSC and Ifoam -, thereby helping the companies to acquire a competitive edge.

3. Equal Benefit Distribution
Biodiversity represents major opportunities for closer relations between the companies and their stakeholders. Well-prepared planning adds value to the inclusion of environmental activities in corporate social responsibility programs.

4. Stronger Management Systems
As in any other project, integrating the questions referring to biodiversity and business culture and social and environmental administration already existing will certainly assure more sustainable and efficient practice.

5. Monitoring and Assessment
A company's performance must be assessed in terms of its goals, standards and stakeholders' expectations, in order to guide corrective actions and to review/include future goals. A monitoring and assessment process must permeate every stage in the action plan.

6. Information Transfer
Progress reports in biodiversity must present collected data at all corporate levels adopting a methodology that summarizes it and makes it easier to understand.

7. Finding New Opportunities
The implementation of a pro-diversity action plan is a dynamic process. This is why new opportunities must be added to this process, whether concerning investor relations or fundraising.