How does my business depend on nature?
How does my business depend on nature? This is a question increasingly being asked of business in recent years, but for some sectors, it can be a tricky one to answer.
Businesses do not operate outside of the boundaries of nature and ecosystems. We rely heavily on the stocks and services that nature provides.
So where do we begin?
Stocks
Nature is the great provider. We have built empires and civilizations upon her bounty, but she’s on her knees and time is running out.
For some sectors, like agriculture, it’s easier to connect with nature but her influence is far reaching and often unnoticed. For example, could you run your business without
- Natural fibres and textiles: cotton, linen, hemp, bamboo, jute, wool, silk, leather
- Paper, cardboard, or wood; product packaging, printing, tissues and napkins, furniture, construction
- Food; tilled crops, livestock, fish
- Rubber; tyres, seals, washers, apparel, furniture, toys
- Dyes; textiles, paint, photographs, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, biological stains, food colouring
- Insects; silk, shellac nail treatment, food colouring, animal feed
- Plants: cosmetics, medicines, essential oils, plant extracts, gardens, and landscaping
- Water; textiles, agriculture, beverage production, automotive
- Metals; construction, automotive, electronics, aerospace, medical devices, printing, pharmaceuticals
- Minerals; cement, ceramics, glass, lime, chemicals, medicines, electronics, pyrotechnics, pest control, pigments, toothpaste, light bulbs, cosmetics, insulation, gloss, fertilizers, construction materials
If your business services any of these sectors, guess what? You depend on nature!
Services
Our livelihoods depend on a healthy planet. We, as businesses and individuals, rely on nature and biodiversity to provide services like recycling and composting, water filtration, healthy productive soils, clean air, pest control, flood protection and pollination. In addition, we receive other social, cultural and health benefits by being within and connected to nature, and you can’t put a price on that!
We are on the verge of a green revolution where business must adapt, and to use a biological term, evolve to become more sustainable and to position nature and biodiversity at the core of decision-making. Our planetary resources are finite, and if this evolution doesn’t happen, who knows what the future may hold… not much.
We’re all connected, and nature connects us all.
#jointheevolution #biodiversityfirst
Lucy Gaffney, Business For Biodiversity platform lead
