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Private Sector @ IUCN IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, organized a four day event “Private Sector @ IUCN” from 19 – 22 October in its Head Quarters in Gland, Switzerland. The event was organized by the Business and Biodiversity Programme and brought together IUCN staff working with the private sector and representatives from businesses interacting with IUCN. The week opened with two days of intensive work with IUCN staff to build capacity and share experiences in working with the private sector, strengthen implementation of the IUCN Operational Guidelines for Private Sector Engagement, and to provide an opportunity for IUCN business and biodiversity focal points to network with each other. The remainder of the week brought in participants from businesses which IUCN is engaging with, or may be entering into discussions with to provide an opportunity to exchange views, to feed into key IUCN processes, and to create better understanding of relationships and synergies on business and biodiversity issues and processes. Over 30 IUCN staff members participated, 10 from the regional offices, and the remainder from the global thematic programmes. There were 26 participants from the private sector, representing the following organizations: CEMEX, Danone, Ecosecurities, EDF, ENI, European Investment Bank, Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP), GDF-Suez, Global Refund Group, Green & Black’s representing Cadbury, Holcim, IPIECA, Kinnarps, LAFARGE, Nespresso, Rio Tinto, Royal Caribbean International, Royal Philips Electronics, SGS, Shell, Syngenta, WBCSD, and the World Economic Forum. The sessions covered issues such as linkages between business activities and the IUCN core and thematic programme areas (conserving biodiversity, climate change, energy, livelihoods and markets), perspectives from the private sector on options for a post 2010 target for biodiversity conservation, and inputs on strategic thinking for IUCN’s work with the sectors of agriculture, mining, tourism and small and medium sized enterprises. The following pages provide a description of the event. For more information: please contact the BBP Team: [email protected] BBP web site: www.iucn.org/business

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Private Sector @ IUCN, October 2009 2

DAY 1 & 2

Participants: IUCN Business and Biodiversity focal points from regions and programmes The meeting with IUCN colleagues was an effective way to interact with each other, in particular with colleagues from the regions and global thematic programmes in order to share experiences and views on working with the private sector to deliver IUCN’s mission and programme. Operational Guidelines for Private Sector Engagement IUCN’s Operational Guidelines for Private Sector Engagement were discussed in depth. The Operational Guidelines have been developed to support IUCN Component Programmes in efforts to engage with the private sector, both for delivering programmatic results and for fundraising (sponsorship and licensing). These guidelines are mandatory for IUCN staff and commission members working on projects linked to the IUCN Programme. In addition to detailed discussions about the background to the guidelines and how to implement them, participants engaged in a demonstration of the complementary on line tool which is designed to assist staff in registering engagement opportunities and tracking progress with implementing the guidelines. The on-line system will create a database of agreements inputted into the system and includes an interface which enables staff to share information with IUCN members. The participants were keen to see the implementation of the online tool, as well as the launch of the companion handbook. The handbook provides further guidance on different aspects of the engagement process, through modules containing more detailed “how to” information, templates and examples. Discussions and questions about the Operational Guidelines focused around due diligence, strategy, communication, dealing with business, IUCN members and Council, and the online tool. When asked, the participants came up with the following top 5 questions in regards to the Operational Guidelines for Private Sector Engagement.

The top 5 questions on the Operational Guidelines for Private Sector Engagement: 1. What to do when things go wrong with the engagement? 2. What should be covered by a due diligence? 3. To which type of engagement do the guidelines apply to? 4. Who pays for the due diligence process? 5. In the on-line tool, can there be flexibility in step 1 and 2?

Peer Consultation Time was allocated to allow for members of the network to “peer consult” to provide for capacity building on a one to one level. Participants felt that meeting and discussing specific issues/challenges with colleagues from headquarters and the regions was highly beneficial. One important issue discussed during the peer consultation was how to establish a regional or country specific business and biodiversity programme.


Poster Session The participants were asked to produce posters to illustrate their ongoing engagement with the private sector. This enabled everybody to learn and share experiences. The posters reflect the wide diversity of interaction between IUCN and the private sector at both a regional and programmatic level.

Future Engagement with Private Sector Future collaboration with the private sector was categorized under the Core and Thematic Programme Areas. Participants indicated their future plans, and broad categories were identified.

CPA1: Conserving biodiversity:

Biodiversity Policy, e.g. influencing multi-lateral dev banks to include biodiversity

Biodiversity Knowledge, there are many tools and guidelines being produced

Conservation Planning and Action, e.g. environmental management plans TPA2: Changing the Climate Forecast:

Multi-stakeholder dialogues and platforms

Offset projects and REDD projects in the voluntary carbon market

Adaptation, in particular tourism TPA3: Naturally Energizing the Future:

Biodiversity and social safeguards for large-scale biofuels investments

Incorporating e flows into hydropower decision-making

Understanding impacts of large scale renewable energy

Rural access to energy based natural systems TPA4: Managing ecosystems for human well-being:

Influencing international policy and practice to incorporate sustainable ecosystem management as a means to improve livelihoods security

A market-based approach to ecosystem-livelihood linkages

Working at the local level with farmers to improve the sustainability of their practices for livelihoods

TPA5: Greening the world economy

Setting sustainability standards for leading businesses

Integrating biodiversity values into business policies and practices

Implementing innovative financing mechanisms for conservation (carbon and biodiversity markets)


Working with Members There were three different perspectives on working with members, which is very important for the implementation of the IUCN programme. Susanna Söderstrom (Membership Unit) presented an overview of IUCN’s global membership, and the way we are able to identify members. Giulia Carbone (BBP) presented The Time for Biodiversity Business project highlighting the members’ work on biodiversity business. Outputs of this project: a publication with 22 biodiversity business examples and points-of-view of 10 experts, a power-point presentation providing initial ideas on how to set up biodiversity businesses, and a report summarising the key lessons shared by the participants to this research. TP Singh (ARO) presented the work with the private sector on the Dhamra Port in India, where IUCN engaged and involved its NGO and Commission members in this challenging issue. Strategic Action Plans In order to streamline the efforts across IUCN, BBP is coordinating the development of strategic action plans on four sectors: Agriculture, Mining, Tourism and Small and Medium Enterprises. These plans are just being initiated and participants provided input on some key questions which will help shape the plans. The participants will get the opportunity to provide more input as the plans develop and become finalized in early 2010.

Communicating with the Private Sector This session, lead by the IUCN Communications Team, assisted participants to make the business case for IUCN, individual programmes and projects when interacting with the private sector. It is important to use language that the private sector can understand and relate to. Future coordination There is an opportunity to improve the internal IUCN coordination in relation to business and biodiversity issues and share lessons learned. Various suggestions were made including:

Regional Business Weeks with Global BBP participation

Global BBP providing capacity building in regions (guidance on regional BBP strategies, business plans for developing BBP programmes at regional level)

How to leverage on the network of BBP focal points

Exchange of staff from the regions Another issue highlighted during this session was the need for clarification to the role to BBP focal points, as potential project managers or as project “incubators”.


DAY 3

Participants: Private Sector Participants and IUCN Business and Biodiversity focal points from regions and programmes IUCN’s Programme In welcoming the private sector to the event, Julia Marton-Lefèvre, IUCN’s Director General, made the following points:

The meeting marked the first time that the private sector had been invited to IUCN for such a gathering

The importance of IUCN engaging with private sector to achieve its goals and mission

IUCN’s value propositions

The advantages gained by IUCN’s unique structure (NGO and government members) and United Nations observer status

The IUCN programme including 5 thematic programme areas

Key conservation issues Jeff McNeely, Senior Science Advisor to IUCN, provided an overview of key challenges and issues facing the world today and in the future. The presentation highlighted how everything is very interconnected and ecosystems and the natural environment ultimately underpin our security on this planet, Therefore the imperative to work together to ensure the way we use our natural resources is consistent with making sure they are available for our current and future needs. This includes private sector needs.

Conservation and business working together During discussions on experiences of participants on the challenges and successes of private sector interactions with conservation organizations, some of the issues debated included:

Big brands have reputational issues that mean trust is paramount in any partnership

Communication between the private sector and conservation organizations could be improved with use of a common language

Private sector needs to show patience to NGO feedback and advice

The objectives of the partnership needs be clear from the beginning IUCN and the private sector During his presentation about building bridges between private sector and IUCN, Juan Marco Alvarez, Director Economy and Environmental Governance Group and Head of Business & Biodiversity Programme, highlighted some lessons learned including:

IUCN’s 5 thematic programme areas:

Conserving Biodiversity

Changing the Climate Forecast

Naturally Energizing the Future

Managing Ecosystems for Human Well-being

Greening the World Economy


Opportunities for multi-year alliances when common strategic purpose is identified

Transparency and clear communication channels need to be in place

The need to allocate more time to the design-phase of the partnership

Flexibility in the IUCN value offering

The need for sector specific strategies for a more coherent and targeted approach

Enhancing skill sets of IUCN staff to work more solidly with the private sector Private sector participants were given the opportunity to reflect on why and how they work with IUCN. Some of the arguments given to engage with IUCN were IUCN’s wide network, global reach and IUCN’s credibility and independence to act as a critical friend. The discussion showed that IUCN’s partnerships with the private sector vary widely, depending on the aims of the partnership and the structure of the company. Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool During lunch time, a presentation of the IBAT tool was given. This is a database for site-level risk assessment developed by Birdlife, Conservation International, UNEP-WCMC, IUCN. The tool is based on data contained in the World Database of Protected Areas, World Biodiversity Database, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Spectrum of Interventions Available to Business Joshua Bishop, IUCN’s Chief Scientist, presented the spectrum of interventions available to the business sector. Some messages from the presentation:

Ecosystem services that are freely available today will cease to be available or become more costly

New business opportunities will emerge as demand grows for more efficient or different ways to use ecosystem services, mitigate impacts or track or trade services

There are many tools around for business to reduce biodiversity risk (e.g. Business and Biodiversity Offsets Program, certification and labelling)

Turning risk into opportunity

Putting it all together: The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)

What would help the private sector make better use of tools? The discussion included:

Tools must be written in language that is accessible

During development the applicability of the tool must be understood and demonstrated, making it more user-friendly for business

Need a one-stop shop of tools illustrating how they are being used to make tool use more efficient and reduce reinventing of tools

Copenhagen 2009 Ninni Ikkala, Climate Change Coordinator IUCN, gave an insight on the processes and discussions around Copenhagen 2009 and explained IUCN’s work on climate change. IUCN is advocating nature based solution to combat the challenges posed by climate change including

Ecosystem based adaptation

Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)

Nagoya 2010 Arturo Mora of IUCN’s Policy Unit, talked about the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Nagoya in 2010.

The international community has failed to meet the target to slow significantly the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010

2010: the International Year of the Biodiversity

Post 2010 biodiversity targets and IUCN’s emerging position on new strategic plans for CBD Following the presentation on the Road to Nagoya there was a discussion on the Nagoya process

The private sector in general is interested in collaborating in the Nagoya and post 2010 targets

The language used by conservation organization in relation to this issue in particular and biodiversity in general is not entirely understood by the private sector (too much jargon and acronyms)

Post 2010 targets and indicators should be sector specific and quantifiable


The global biodiversity conservation priorities Participants were invited to demonstrate how their organization was contributing towards the five global priorities as part of IUCN’s programme. The key message obtained from this exercise is that there is a high level of engagement by the private sector on all 5 of IUCN’s Core and Thematic Programme Areas.

Private sector activities on the 5 themes included: CPA 1: Conserving Biodiversity - Biodiversity Action plans - including management - Sustainable use/ alternatives - labelling and certification - Impact reduction - implementation of best practice - Research on valuation and ecosystem services TPA 2: Changing the Climate Forecast - Monitoring and managing a company’s own emissions - Reforestation and restoration activities - Producing greener “low carbon” products TPA 3: Naturally Energizing the Future - Investing in biofuels research with academia - Reducing oil and gas impacts - Developing a wind farm TPA 4 – Managing ecosystems for human well-being - Incorporating environmental and human well-being into policy and practice - Supporting and enabling sustainable livelihood futures for rural communities - Supporting sustainable livelihoods TPA 5: Greening the world economy - Best practice – setting the standard - Experimenting with innovative financing tool - Investments in green technology

Participants appreciated the opportunity to exchange views and gained valuable insight into how to better integrate the private sector into biodiversity issues. The private sector gained a greater knowledge of the IUCN, its members and its work.


DAY 4 Participants: IUCN relationship managers, IUCN Business and Biodiversity focal points and private sector partners with programmatic agreements. The following companies were represented: Danone, FEAP, Holcim, Nespresso, Rio Tinto, Shell, and WBCSD. Objectives The objective was to investigate the successes and challenges of IUCN private sector agreements. Queries on IUCN agreements The company representatives were asked if the participants from the previous day had asked any specific questions on their agreement with IUCN. Some of the questions included:

How did your organization meet IUCN?

What does an IUCN agreement or partnership entail?

How “dangerous” is an IUCN partnership, in relation to control of information? Introduction: Partners and Engagement Using posters each partner briefly described its organization and its agreement with IUCN. The types of agreements and partnerships were very different. Various reasons were given for selection IUCN as a partner including:

Ability to be a critical friend

Global reach of organization

IUCN’s convening power

Learning Cafe The specific relationships with the private sector organizations were analysed via 3 questions. Here is a snap shot of the discussions: What are the key benefits to your business of working with IUCN?

Credibility as well as technical/scientific knowledge

Global vision on environmental indicators and balanced opinions

Network of experts and access to expertise to develop synergies What more can be done to better meet the expectations of your business/IUCN?

Simplify the language for the private sector

Define the responsibilities better

Clarify resources on both sides How does your business use the partnership to drive change within the company?

Demonstrate success and share at an executive, national and local level via standard practices

Via learning academies to train deal makers and change the “DNA” of employees


IUCN as an external voice is a stronger messenger to independently review existing practices

Partner Mapping The private sector partners mapped the environmental organizations they are working with.

The private sector have many different engagements with many different conservation organizations

Not all engagements involve IUCN members

It is not always clear to private sector partners who IUCN members are

How can IUCN with its partners strengthen the relationship with members? Some suggestions made:

IUCN to leverage on the richness of its membership

IUCN to be the match maker between IUCN and the local members

IUCN to convene a workshop for the private sector partners along with NGO and government members to discuss how to strengthen the membership

Make a list of IUCN members readily available to private sector partners.

If you want to make a change on the ground, you need to involve the local members

Private Sector Knowledge Network The Private Sector Knowledge Network was discussed as a potential mechanism to work with the private sector. Key issues arising from the discussion:

Providing the private sector with a more institutionalized role in IUCN (membership) could produce a conflict of interest and remove IUCN’s advantage of being an impartial/independent voice

Business and the private sector currently have many networks available to it and a network needs to have clear objectives

Collaborative Opportunities IUCN’s private sector partners present at the meeting gave the following suggestions for possible collaboration between themselves and IUCN:

Collaborating with IUCN to produce post 2010 biodiversity targets and indicators

Development of a training programme, related to capacity building, knowledge and skills transfer MOU between WBCSD and IUCN The Memorandum of Understanding between IUCN and WBCSD was renewed for another four years. The official signing of the document was done by Bjorn Stigson, President WBCSD and Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General IUCN.

The private sector partners found the interaction very useful and informative. They expressed interest in replicating the event on a yearly basis, especially where the private sector representatives could spend more time together to interact.


Annex 1

IUCN Participants Note: IUCN staff on the list participated in different parts of the programme

Component Programme Name Position

Director General’s Office Ms Julia Marton-Lefèvre Director General, IUCN

Asia Regional Office Ms Shiranee Yasaratne

Head of Business and Biodiversity Programme

Asia Regional Office Mr TP Singh

Regional Head, Ecosystems and Livelihoods

Sri Lanka Country Office Mr Asanka Abayakoon

Business and Biodiversity Programme Coordinator

China Country Office Ms Zhuang Hao Programme Officer, China Office

Regional Office Europe Mr Hans Friedrich Head Regional Office Europe

Regional Office Europe Ms Shulamit Alony Business and Biodiversity Officer

Regional Office West Asia Mr Majdi Salameh Business and Biodiversity Officer

Regional Office Meso America Ms Marta Perez de Madrid

Programme Officer

South America (SUR) Ms Ximena Buitrón Cisneros

Senior Biodiversity Officer

Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation Mr Alcantara Andrés Spanish Liaison Coordinator

Energy and Livelihoods Initiative Ms Andrea Athanas Senior Programme Officer

Global Marine Programme Mr Finn Larsen Programme Officer

Global Marine Programme Mr Ameer Abdulla

Senior Specialist / Group Leader Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Science Malaga, Spain

Global Marine Programme Mr Francois Simard Deputy Head Global Marine Programme

Global Marine Programme Mr James Oliver Project Officer

Global Forest Programme Mr Jamie Gordon Project Officer

Global Forest Programme Mr Stewart Maginnis Head of Forest Programme

Global Economics and Environment Programme Mr Andrew Seidl

Head, Global Economics & Environment Programme

Chief Economist's Office Mr Joshua Bishop Chief Economist

Economics and the Environment Programme Ms Nathalie Olsen Programme Officer to the Chief Economist

Group 3 EEGG Mr David Huberman Programme Associate

Ecosystem Management Programme Ms Radhika Murti Programme Officer HQ

Environment & Development Group Ms Georgina Peard

Coordinator, Ecosystems and Human Well-being

Environment & Development Group Ms Ninni Ikkala Climate Change Network Coordinator

Global Water Programme Mr Mark Smith Head Global Water Programme

Strategic Partnership Unit Ms Lucy Deram Rollason Head Strategic Partnership Unit

Strategic Partnership Unit Ms Edwina Silvester Corporate Relations Officer

Global Species Programme Mr Jeremy Harris Development Director Species Survival Commission

Global Species Programme Mr Jean Christophe Vie Deputy Head Species Programme

Global Species Programme Mr Martin Sneary Programme Director, Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool

World Heritage Programme Mr Tim Badman Head World Heritage Programme

Global Policy Unit Mr Arturo Mora Policy Officer

Global Policy Unit Ms Constanza Martinez Policy Officer


Global Communications Unit Mr John Kidd Head Global Communications Unit

Global Communications Unit Ms Borjana Pervan Communications Officer

Global Communications Unit Ms Sarah Horsley Media Relations Officer

Business and Biodiversity Programme Mr Juan Marco Alvarez Director EEGG and Head BBP

Business and Biodiversity Programme Mr Dennis Hosack

Programme Officer and IUCN-Shell Relationship Manager

Business and Biodiversity Programme Ms Giulia Carbone

Programme Officer and IUCN-Holcim Relationship Manager

Business and Biodiversity Programme Ms Evelyne Clarke Team Assistant

Business and Biodiversity Programme Ms Rachel Asante Events Assistant

Business and Biodiversity Programme Ms Saskia de Koning Business and Biodiversity Advisor

Chief Scientist Office Mr Jeff McNeely Senior Science Advisor to IUCN

Ramsar Mr Tobias Salathe Senior Regional Advisor for Europe

IUCN Secondee to Shell Ms Virpi Stucki Biodiversity Advisor

Independent Facilitator Ms Gillian Martin Mehers Facilitator

Consultant Ms Emma Duncan Consultant


Annex 2

Private Sector Participants

Name Organization Position

Ms Héloïse Chardigny CEMEX Vice President of Sustainability

Mr Bernard Giraud Danone Sustainability Director

Mr Jean-Pierre Rennaud Danone Director of Environment

Mr Jan Feshe Ecosecurities Head of Ecosystem Services

Ms Claire Varret EDF Director of Sustainable development

Mr Roberto Bossi ENI Sustainability planning and Professional Community Manager

Mr Peter Carter European Investment Bank

Associate Director, Head Environment and Social Office (ESO)

Mr Courtney Hough FEAP Executive Secretary

Ms Elizabeth Jaskulke GDF-Suez Deputy Director of Environment

Mr Arjen Kruger Global Refund Group Executive Vice President

Mr Neil La Croix Green & Black’s Head of Supply Chains

Mr Gerard Bos Holcim IUCN Relationship Manager

Mr Richard Sykes IPIECA Executive Secretary

Mr Rasmus Nanhed Kinnarps Managing Director Kinnarps Switzerland

Mr Pierre de Premare LAFARGE Vice President Environment and Public Affairs, Quarries, Aggregates and Concrete

Mr Christophe Boussemart Nespresso

Sustainable Project Manager

Ms Laurel Green Rio Tinto Government Affairs Team

Mr Jamie Sweeting Royal Caribbean International

Vice President for Environmental Stewardship

Ms Bibilotte Duyvesteyn Royal Philips Electronics Director Professional and Public Affairs

Ms Dorien Van de Weele Royal Philips Electronics Manager Energy Efficient Lighting Solutions, Philips Lighting

Mr Daniel Rufenacht SGS Vice President Corporate Sustainability

Mr Steven De Bie Shell Manager Strategic Partnerships

Ms Franziska Zimmermann Syngenta

Public Affairs Manager

Mr Mikkel Kallesoe WBCSD Programme Manager Ecosystems

Ms Antonia Gawel WBCSD Deputy Director Energy & Climate

Mr Randall Kranz World Economic Forum Associate Director, Environment

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