Tools & Mechanisms

Natural Value Initiative – The Ecosystem Services Benchmark (Fauna & Flora International, FGV and UNEP Finance Initiative

http://www.naturalvalueinitiative.org/

Tool to enable institutional investors to better understand the risks and opportunities associated with their investment’s management of their impacts and dependence on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Focus on the food, beverage and tobacco sectors but relevant for companies with agricultural supply chains. Developed with investors Aviva Investors, F&C Investments, insight Investments, Pax World, Grupo Santander and VicSuper. Collectively these have assets under management of approximately Euro 400 billion.

Oree

http://www.oree.org/

Orée is a French organisation working on environmental issues and has published a major guide book on biodiversity for businesses.  This organisation has set up a "Business and Biodiversity” working group dedicated to developing guidance and best practices related to the introduction of biodiversity conservation into business operations.

Proteus Partnership

http://www.proteuspartners.org/

A partnership between UNEP-WCMC (United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre) and multinational companies to make available global information and tools on biodiversity and ecosystems to support decision-making.

Report for SEED initiative research programme: Critical success factors and performance measures for start-up social and environmental enterprises

http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2008/seed_factors_startup....

The SEED initiative identifies, profiles, and researches promising entrepreneurial approaches to locally-led sustainable development. Their report identifies eight critical success factors and fourteen performance indicators that are central to a rapid assessment process for social and environmental enterprises.  This assessment process can be self-directed by enterprise leaders to determine whether the critical elements are in place for successful growth.

Responding to Climate Change (RTCC)

http://www.rtcc.org/index.html

RTCC is a Non-Governmental Organisation and an official observer to the United Nations climate change negotiations dedicated to raising awareness about climate change issues.  RTCC aims to provide a robust and informative news service covering all the latest developments in climate change policy and low-carbon technological development.

Save your logo

http://saveyourlogo.org/en/

Many large companies and worldwide institutions have chosen symbols of biodiversity as logos. They actually use an image of animal or plant species that are or will be threatened. The concept of Save Your logo is very simple. Save Your Logo creates an opportunity for companies represented by a plant or animal in their logo to contribute to the conservation of that species.

Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research (SNIFFER)

http://www.sniffer.org.uk/Default.aspx

SNIFFER’s primary focus is addressing knowledge gaps related to environmental issues, specifically where  interdependencies between economy and society exist.

Below is a sample of topic areas currently being addressed:

• Climate change
• Sustainable land use
• Water management
• Flood risk management
• Water framework directive implementation.

Species Banking

http://www.speciesbanking.com/

Speciesbanking.com is a global information clearinghouse for biodiversity offsetting, compensation and offset banking. SpeciesBanking.com provides information at two levels: at the Program level and at the level of individual biodiversity Banks.

Supplier Ethical Data Exchange

http://www.sedex.org.uk/sedex/go.asp?u=/WebSite/Ho...

Sedex, the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange, is a membership organisation for businesses committed to continuous improvement of the ethical performance of their supply chains. Companies join Sedex in order to: use the Sedex web-based system; participate in Sedex governance; participate in working groups; network and engage with other Sedex members; and utilise Sedex value-added services.  Sedex is a not-for-profit organisation based in London, UK, open for membership to any company anywhere in the world.

Sustainable Building Alliance

http://www.sballiance.org/

A coalition of standard setting organisations, national building research centres and construction sector stakeholders that aims to accelerate the international adoption of sustainable building practices. They are producing a common metrics framework, and promoting environmental assessment and certification of buildings. Provide tools and research to aid this process.