RSB Joins Global Business Coalition to Take Action for Nature

Last month, RSB officially joined the Business for Nature coalition of businesses and organisations seeking to reverse the global biodiversity loss crisis by 2030. Aiming to provide a united business voice that can demonstrate and amplify existing commitments to protecting nature, while also building further action, this coalition of almost 40 global entities will enter 2020 with the clear aim of forging an international agreement towards reversing nature loss over the coming decade.

The bioeconomy is already estimated to be worth £1.7 trillion in annual turnover in the EU alone, it is essential that growth of the circular and bio-based economy is clearly contained within our planetary boundaries. With sustainability criteria embedded in any project or supply chain, RSB promotes not just the protection, but also the restoration, of the world’s natural resources. RSB’s role in driving real and meaningful sustainability solutions to address social, environmental, and climate impact makes it an obvious fit with coalition partners — including WWF, WEF, B Team, World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The RSB Standard provides a powerful mechanism to help translate  corporate commitments into real impacts, demonstrating positive outcomes in social and environmental sustainability, and lays out robust requirements — via its Principles and Criteria — to show that bioeconomy activities do not negatively affect biodiversity, ecosystems, and conservation values, as well as many other key socio-economic issues.

The Business for Nature coalition will work together to build a new deal for nature in 2020 as government, business and civil society come together during several major United Nations events that will shape global efforts to protect biodiversity. RSB is extremely pleased to add its multi-stakeholder voice to this action and continue encouraging global businesses to use the RSB Standard in ensuring that their work in the bioeconomy is supporting the fight against nature loss.

Welcoming RSB to the coalition, Business for Nature’s Executive Director, Eva Zabey, remarked, “We are delighted to welcome RSB as a partner of Business for Nature. Its multi-stakeholder approach to the development of an advanced bioeconomy through practical and credible tools is a valuable addition to our coalition. Businesses need clear and practical solutions to protecting and restoring nature throughout their value chains. Business for Nature provides clear examples of these, both to help businesses take these important measures, but also to demonstrate to policy makers that there is already a powerful business movement for nature.”

RSB’s Executive Director, Rolf Hogan, had this to say, “Bringing global organisations together to form a united voice on biodiversity is crucial if we are going to help businesses navigate a world under pressure. The consequences of allowing the die-off of nature are huge – and would impact not just on business but on our ability as a species to survive – and that’s why we are thrilled to add RSB’s voice – and our solutions – to this coalition and strive for a new deal for nature in 2020 and beyond.”