LBP Guidelines

Introduction

It is now widely acknowledged that to stem the decline in biodiversity, it is necessary to engage all sectors of society in conservation efforts. Businesses exert wide influence over the way in which biodiversity is used or managed. In order to attain the goals set out in the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as the objectives of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, requires the active participation of the business sector.

The UK BAP, published in 1994, describes the UK’s Biological resources and commits a detailed plan for the protection of these resources through Species and Habitat Action Plans. Regional and Local Biodiversity Partnerships co-ordinate and implement these actions on a national level. Local Biodiversity Partnerships devise and set out Local Biodiversity Action Plans, which outline actions to be taken in a specific local area in order to conserve and enhance species and habitats identified in the UKBAP and/or of particular local importance.

Many businesses are achieving positive outcomes by working together with their stakeholders and are building partnerships with, or supporting conservation organisations. By working with partner organisations, such as Local Biodiversity Partnerships, programmes which help reverse the trend of declining biodiversity can be instigated.

LBPs have gained many benefits through engaging with businesses and, conversely, businesses have derived many benefits from their work with LBPs. Many collaborative efforts generate similar benefits for all parties concerned. Working together provides opportunities for exchanging ideas, obtaining fresh perspectives on issues and accessing different information. For example, working together provides access to new networks of people and information. By being associated with each other, companies and LBPs can gain credibility and publicity. Potential long-term benefits can extend far beyond immediate biodiversity outcomes.

Engaging Businesses with Biodiversity
Guidelines For Local Biodiversity Partnerships

This web-based publication presents a summary of ten workshops run across England, Scotland and Wales during 2003-2004, by Earthwatch Institute (Europe), which looked at the reasons for LBPs to engage with businesses, how to go about it and the major challenges encountered by Local Biodiversity Partnerships when working with businesses.

The set of Tools (available to download below) complement the guidelines and have been developed for LBPs to use to help them approach, work with and engage with businesses. These tools are intended to be downloaded, customised and used as guidance only.

LIST OF TOOLS

Tool 1: Handout on Overview of Business and Biodiversity

This tool is intended as a template for you to hand out to companies as an introduction to the topic of biodiversity. It is provided in Word format for you to customise for your work.

Tool 2: Handout Business and Biodiversity Action Questionnaire

This tool provides a basic set of questions which look at how widely a company has already become aware of and involved in biodiversity. You can give this questionnaire to businesses to fill out and return to you, or to guide you in your discussions with companies. It is provided in Word format for you to add to or customise for your work.

Tool 3: Biodiversity Management Planner

This tool can be used to set out a schedule of biodiversity activities for a site over a full year and can provide a useful overview of how these activities may overlap with other activities which a business is involved in. The file is provided in Word format for you to customise for a particular sector or company.

Tool 4: ‘Checklist’ for LBP engagement with businesses

This is a checklist that provides a list of some of the steps an LBP may choose to take to develop and put into practice a strategy for engaging businesses.

Tool 5: ‘Checklist’ for business engagement with biodiversity

This checklist is based on the business Framework for Action which can be used to follow progress a company is making towards implementing a biodiversity strategy.

Tool 6: Sample LBP Policy on engagement

LBPs can use this template to start drafting their own policy for engaging businesses with. It is provided in Word format for you to add or customise for your work.

Tool 7: Sample Business Policy on Biodiversity

This is an example of what a Company’s Biodiversity Policy may look like and you can find more samples through company web sites.

Tool 8: Sample Action Plan for Engaging Businesses

For LBPs wishing to draw up a plan of action for working with businesses, this outline includes some of the things which you may wish to cover. You may also wish to develop a simple log-frame to plan your work, identifying resources and time-frames for activities.

Tool 9: Service Level Agreement

An outline of the main section headings for a possible Service Level Agreement/Terms of Reference between a business and an LBP is provided here. This provides only a rough guide to the types of issues which you may wish to cover in such a document and you should seek advice to ensure that it is complete as well as compliant with any policies or legal requirements.

Tool 10: Presentation to businesses

An example of a presentation that can be used as an effective way to contact the business community and spread your message. This presentation can be tailored to suit the audience you are addressing and the objectives that you are trying to get across. It is provided in PowerPoint format for you to add or customise for your work.

Photo Credit: Doug Peters