Business and Biodiversity

In an increasingly resource-constrained world achieving our economic goals should not, and need not, come at the expense of protecting biodiversity, habitats and ecosystem services. In fact, these are the very pillars upon which long-term economic development and growth depend.

The world’s species and habitats have never been under greater pressure from the expansion of production landscapes and the exploitation of species and ecosystems for goods and services such as food, minerals, timber and water. Today, the private sector is perhaps the most important stakeholder in deciding the future for our planet’s biodiversity, yet it remains one of the least engaged and is ill-equipped to deal with the challenge.

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), as a worldwide centre of excellence for conservation science and applied science, is well-placed to advise and advocate for best practice natural resource use.

ZSL’s Business & Biodiversity Programme works with the private sector to minimise negative impacts on the world’s species and ecosystems and, where possible, to improve the status of biodiversity.

We provide industry with the latest science and tools for monitoring and managing biodiversity and developing, promoting and implementing biodiversity standards.

Business and Biodiversity Projects Include:

• Wildlife Wood Project
  Enabling timber companies to effectively manage wildlife within their forest concessions
• Biodiversity and Palm Oil
  Developing practical guidance to assist the palm oil industry in reducing its environmental impact.
• Corporate Conservation Complex
  Establishing landscape planning taskforces to protect and restore habitat
• New Tools
  Developing and implementing cutting-edge scientific tools for companies to understand and manage biodiversity.

ZSL also leads successful projects working in direct partnership with companies:

• Project Ocean
  A high profile retail activism campaign with Selfridges department store
• Old fishing nets make new carpets
  Working with Interface in the Philippines to recycle discarded fishing nets into carpets

If you would be interested in forming a corporate partnership please follow this link:
Corporate partnerships