COP 16 - Beyond regulatory issues, companies must recognize that living things have significant intrinsic value

On the occasion of COP16, taking place from October 21 to November 1 in Colombia, Alexis Costes, a consultant in Carbone 4’s Biodiversity division, discusses the key issues to understand about a topic whose full scope is not yet fully appreciated but which is gaining prominence, driven in particular by the new European CSRD—Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

Carbone 4 Académie, Carbone 4’s training division, offers a course titled “ Building one'sBiodiversity Roadmap ". Who comes here to train, and what are they looking for?"

People mainly come here to find answers to questions that arise regarding biodiversity issues in the context of their work—primarily in the fields of CSR or consulting—yet behind this particular topic often lies the individual with their own unique perspective…

In fact, when we approach biodiversity from a business perspective—explaining that it is very important to integrate these issues to reduce various physical and transition risks, and highlighting the risks associated with not having a biodiversity strategy, etc., the initial reactions are often that even if these risks did not exist for the organization, it would still be necessary to reduce its impacts and dependencies because biodiversity, the environment, and living things hold strong intrinsic value for the participants.

In fact, many admit that they would not want to work for a company that does not take these issues into account.

So people take the training both to understand the value of incorporating biodiversity into their work and to play an active role in a world undergoing transition, driven by the need to understand the levers for action and to find meaning in their work.

You can really feel that quest for alignment.

How did the idea for this program come about?

We conducted a benchmarking analysis of existing training programs on biodiversity and realized that there were few, if any, training programs aimed at businesses and individuals that took an operational approach—one that helps participants understand how to use the tools and navigate the regulatory and voluntary frameworks within which they can take action on biodiversity.

Yet we knew that demand would inevitably arise in the context of the bioclimatic emergency, if only through regulatory channels, under the CSRD, which introduces reporting that encompasses biodiversity issues. This reporting is set to become mandatory for a large number of companies.

In addition, we observed—not surprisingly—a strong interest among our alumni in the topic of biodiversity, which is closely linked to climate.

By the way, do we need to remind people that biodiversity is an issue at least as important as climate change?

Absolutely—and our students have actually grasped this quite well; they understand that the issue of climate change is part of the broader issue of biodiversity, since it is one of the main pressures on biodiversity (according to experts, climate change is expected to become the leading factor putting pressure on species and ecosystems over the coming decades) and that there are other indicators to consider beyond the strictly carbon-related aspects.

The training thus helps broaden the scope of actions the company must take to improve its impact, and also helps highlight the work being done on climate change by incorporating the issue of biodiversity into it.

Is this aimed at an audience of pioneers?

We are indeed still in the early stages of this approach, compared to climate issues.

However, the CSRD has undeniably accelerated the rise of biodiversity as a topic within companies, and we are now seeing new types of professionals attending the training. Companies that have a significant impact on land use—such as those involved in highway construction, to cite one example—want to better understand what is happening within their Scope 1 emissions.

But these are often people who are quite interested in these topics on a personal level, which makes the discussions all the more enriching.

Did the new framework proposed by the CSRD influence the program?

Of course, we are enhancing the content to address the challenges posed by this new regulatory framework, although in a 12-hour training course we won’t go into detail about the tools, methodologies, and reporting requirements proposed by the CSRD.

We are taking a comprehensive approach, with the goal of laying the groundwork.

More specifically, in terms of deliverables, participants leave with a document summarizing the key information gathered during the training, namely: what my regulatory constraints are, my main impacts on and dependencies regarding biodiversity and ecosystems, the risks associated with these various impacts and dependencies, and the identified levers for action to reduce them. Not to mention the opportunities, albeit to a lesser extent.

Finally, we’ll look at the communication challenges surrounding a Biodiversity Roadmap—specifically, how to promote this work internally to management and various teams, and then externally… while avoiding greenwashing!

Beyond regulatory requirements, what benefits do companies gain from incorporating biodiversity into their operations?

For many companies with “agricultural upstream” operations—in the agri-food sector and beyond—there is a significant challenge related to their dependence on ecosystem services—pollination, access to water resources, water quality, etc.—whose degradation has repercussions on agricultural yields. So if a company does not try to understand its dependencies, in a world where ecosystems are rapidly deteriorating, it may face very high risks across its value chain, including supply chain disruptions and rising costs —the same applies to the consequences of global warming—and, as a result, its bottom line and financial health could be severely impacted.

Not to mention the reputational and market risks that may arise from failing to take biodiversity into account in one’s strategy.

There is also—even if this aspect is sometimes harder to grasp—the concept of opportunity. This is the case, for example, when an iconic brand in the agri-food industry diversifies its yogurt offerings with a plant-based line, recognizing that its business model is highly dependent on ecosystem services.

The issue of climate change takes us to time horizons that are often difficult to grasp. When it comes to biodiversity, on the other hand, the benefits of taking action are very concrete—even immediate...

Yes, and that, in fact, is the whole point of biodiversity certificates, which will be a major topic of discussion during this COP, since we understand that there is work to be done on ecosystem restoration, rewilding, and the protection of ecosystems in general—all of which will require significant funding.

These are issues that have been incorporated into the national strategies of several countries, including France, with results that can be quite impressive. I’m thinking, for example, of the protection of marine areas where fish populations have been observed to increase by 50 or even 100 percent in a single year.

Another example reported by Le Monde A few days ago, in Burgundy, the creation of flower strips near blackcurrant orchards has helped bring back about 40 species of pollinators over the past three years. All of this speaks in favor of protecting these areas.

From a business perspective, it is important to understand one’s impacts and dependencies in order to protect the ecosystems on which we have a significant impact or on which we depend—which, moreover, makes sense from a value chain perspective.

Biodiversity is a highly location-specific issue, which makes the subject complex and requires consideration of the locations of the companies along the value chain.

Some companies, particularly in the luxury sector, are at the forefront of these issues, given the importance of raw materials in their business models.

In conclusion, what aspects of the training did the participants appreciate the most?

The combination of e-learning and in-person sessions (the second day takes place at Carbone 4’s offices in Paris) is very well-received, and participants are excited about the opportunity to come and exchange ideas during this day. And I must say that the same goes for us trainers, because, as I mentioned earlier, these are topics that lend themselves perfectly to discussion!

The practical aspect of the training—particularly through the use of the ENCORE (Exploring Natural Capital Opportunities, Risks, and Exposure) tool, which helps participants understand impacts and interdependencies—is also highly praised.

In fact, companies sometimes reach out to us again after the training to take things further and delve deeper into the subject. This was recently the case with a pharmaceutical group that we will be helping to steer its biodiversity strategy in accordance with the CSRD.

We haven't heard the last of biodiversity!

To learn more and register for an upcoming session, visit the training page Creating Your Biodiversity Roadmap.

Interview by Ghislain Journé, Head of Marketing & Communications at Carbone 4 Académie