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Side Event

Encouraging the creation of legal and policy frameworks leading to enhanced biodiversity management by companies

Organizer
International Union for the Conservation of Nature

Date and Time
15 October 2012 18:15 - 19:45

Meeting
Eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 11)

In order for business to manage their impacts on biodiversity and to contribute more broadly to the biodiversity conservation agenda, governments need to create enabling conditions that allow market forces to be harnessed for conservation. In some instances this will require governments to make changes to existing regulations to ensure that these are in line with conservation goals, in others, new regulations or incentive measures are needed to encourage market-based solutions. Changes are needed both at national and international levels and should aim to create a level playing field both for companies competing in the same markets, and for companies competing to use the same resources. Based on IUCN’s experience in developing a Biodiversity Management System with Holcim, the cement and aggregates company, IUCN Environmental Law Centre (ELC) has been working on developing a set of principles that outline the legal framework, the policy instruments and interventions which encourage companies to integrate biodiversity into their business (processes and decision-making). The first results of this work will be presented and discussed during this side event. Furthermore, a panel discussion will take place regarding the key policy and legal elements which enable good biodiversity management by businesses. Participants will also discuss mechanisms for turning policy recommendations into legal instruments. Additionally, IUCN India has been working with private sector companies, like Dhamra Port Company Ltd (DPCL), and the TATA Steel ltd, to help them develop strategies and change their operations to minimise or completely remove threats to biodiversity arising directly or indirectly from their operations. The learnings and the impacts of some of the key mitigation measures that have been implemented in this project are good examples of sustainable coastal development that have relevance in the region while dealing with such projects. This will also be shared during the side event. It is envisaged that the discussion will help in using these pilot initiatives and advocate for policy/legal instruments. Workshop Objectives • Obtain feedback on the legal principles developed by IUCN ELC to support biodiversity management by companies; • Disseminate the work done or initiatives taken for the biodiversity conservation by various private sector companies with support from IUCN • Discuss how to disseminate the principles and develop an influencing strategy for creating the enabling environment for good biodiversity management by companies. Target Audience The target audience for the event would be business representatives and policy-makers. Tentative Programme 1st hour: Panel Discussion: • Presentation of the legal Guidelines developed by IUCN ELC. • Presentation by business representatives (e.g. DPCL and other companies) on their work for biodiversity conservation. • Panel discussion about enabling policy environment for enhanced biodiversity management. 2nd hour: Interactive session with policy makers, businesses and NGOs.