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What is EU Business & Biodiversity Platform?

All businesses are dependent on nature and its biodiversity to some extent. The continued loss of biodiversity represents a major risk to economic growth and our communities. More than half of the world's GDP depends on nature and its services. Business as usual is no longer acceptable, nor desirable. 

The European Business & Biodiversity Platform is set up by the European Commission to work with and help business measure and integrate the value of biodiversity into business decision making. 

The Platform's main aim is to mobilise a critical mass of business actors in Europe and beyond to deliver the EU Biodiversity Strategy targets by 2030 and secure "a world of living in harmony with nature" by 2050, as called upon by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.  

Why we need biodiversity in business? 

Many businesses are not fully aware to what extent they depend and impact on biodiversity and ecosystems. Businesses rely on nature for resources, such as food or minerals, and the services it provides, such as pollination of crops, water filtration or climate sequestration and regulation. Biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on Earth, and forms the foundation of our economy, and healthy and prosperous societies.

Biodiversity decline poses the greatest systemic risks to our economy. To turn nature-related business risks into opportunities, business need to understand how they impact and depend on nature throughout the value chain. 

Through the EU B&B Platform, business and finance have a unique opportunity to redesign their relationship with nature and identify actions to move towards a nature-positive world.  

Our mission

The EU B&B Platform will support all businesses at all stages of their biodiversity journey bridging with other initiatives where necessary and working on a needs-base.  

The objective of the Platform is multi-faceted:  

  • Engage with new businesses, financial institutions and supporting networks to raise awareness about biodiversity impacts and dependencies, risks and opportunities, and onboard them on their biodiversity journey; 
  • Strengthen the common understanding and unlock the leveraging power of EU financial institutions, by enabling well-informed EU business and sector engagement; and, 
  • Address key technical and organisational bottlenecks faced by businesses and financial institutions to advance on their biodiversity journey. 
     

Our members

We proudly bring together more than 400 member organisations striving to embed biodiversity and natural capital considerations in their daily operations. All types of businesses, from SMEs to larger companies, engaged or exploring engagement in business & biodiversity and natural capital are invited to become members of the EU B&B Platform and share their best practices, or learn from shared practices. 

History

Over the years, the Platform has established itself as a key initiative to support business and financial institutions on their biodiversity journey. 

The growing interest from the business community and the array of regulations created by the EU to support its vision included inthe EU Biodiversity Strategy and the Green Deal reflect the growing momentum. 

The historic Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was agreed upon at COP15, 2022. The global agreement on protecting nature and preventing biodiversity loss requires business to get ready to start reporting on their nature-related risks, impacts and dependencies. 

  1. 2008

    Establishment of the EU B&B platform as called upon by the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020 

  2. 2013

    Re-launch and activation of the Platform, under ICF's leadership

  3. 2014

    First annual conference of the Platform in presence of the Commissioner for the Environment 

  4. 2015

    First tool allowing comparison between different types of natural capital accounting and reporting

  5. 2016

    Launch of the Community of Practice on "Finance and Biodiversity"

  6. 2017

    First annual conference of the Platform organised with local partners (Frankfurt)

  7. 2018

    First Assessment Report on biodiversity measurement approaches for business and financial institutions 

  8. 2019

    First edition of the European Business and Nature Summit (EBNS) and emergence of the nature positive concept 

  9. March 2020

    Launch of the Finance for Biodiversity Pledge by members of the Platform

  10. May 2020

    Publication of the EU Biodiversity strategy for 2030

  11. March 2021

    Launch of the Align project (Aligning accounting approaches for nature) 

  12. April 2021

    Adoption of the EU Sustainable finance package, including the Taxonomy

  13. July 2021

    Adoption of the European Green Deal 

  14. June 2022

    Commission adopts proposal for a Nature Restoration Law

  15. September 2022

    Launch of the Draft Align Recommendations for a standard for biodiversity measurement

  16. November 2022

    Adoption of the EU Deforestation Regulation

  17. November 2022

    Adopted for the Corporate Sustainability Directive (CSRD) requiring companies to report on the impact of corporate activities on the environment and society

     

  18. December 2022

    Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreed at COP15. 

  20. January 2023

    Launch of Phase 5 of the Platform: Same mission, renewed focus

Brand resources

A collection of resources for the new visual identity of the platform are available on the button below. This includes the logo in various forms and some illustrative elements used across the site.

Disclaimer: Members of the European Business & Biodiversity Platform can use the logo to showcase that they are committed to taking action towards a nature positive world. The European Business & Biodiversity Platform nor the European Commission are responsible for the actions and/or messages of its members. The use of the logo does not imply a recommendation or endorsement by the European Commission.

Download the brand resources (.zip)

Contacts

For information on the B&B Platform, please contact Jerome [dot] kisielewiczaticf [dot] com (EUBB_Platform[at]icf[dot]com).

If you want to get involved in the workstreams, please contact the workstream leaders:

  • Methods: johan [dot] lammerantatarcadis [dot] com (Johan Lammerant)
  • Finance: a [dot] boratnextgreen [dot] nl (Anne-Marie Bor)
  • Mainstreaming: Jerome [dot] kisielewiczaticf [dot] com (Jerome Kisielewicz)