In early 2010 the German Ministry for the Environment (BMU) and the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) sponsored the research and development project “Biodiversity and Business” led by the Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM) of the Leuphana University Lüneburg. Cooperation partners of the CSM are B.A.U.M. (German Environmental Management Association) and the Global Nature Fund (GNF). The vision for a sustainable economy of the “National Strategy for Biological Diversity” (NBS) is for business activities in Germany to be in harmony with the conservation of biological diversity.
In accordance with this vision, this R&D project investigates how companies can become engaged in preserving biodiversity, their starting and possible business motives for integrating elements of biodiversity in business processes.
A secondary goal is to sensitise business representatives to the topic of “biodiversity and business”. This involves preparing materials that show how biological diversity relates to the operative goals of business.
The expectations and perspectives of environmental and conservation organisations as well as consumer protection organisations (NGO) are to be integrated into the material being gathered. This allows a more comprehensive picture of possible fields of action as well as crystallisation points for networks and cooperation between business and NGOs.
This research and development project is building on the handbook for practitioners produced in the first project, concentrating on the main industries and developinng dossiers and position papers for business practice through workshops and interviews with experts.
This R&D project is meant to provide starting points for political decision-makers and for government agencies to improve the conditions for integrating bio-diversity concerns into business processes.

Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

Federal Agency for Nature Conservation

Global Nature Fund

B.A.U.M. (German Environmental Management Association)