Citation
(2010), "Survey on biodiversity and corporate reporting analysis", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 11 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijshe.2010.24911dag.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Survey on biodiversity and corporate reporting analysis
Article Type: News from the net From: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Volume 11, Issue 4
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has highlighted that only two of the world’s largest 100 companies have identified biodiversity and ecosystem loss as a strategic issue. The analysis, undertaken as part of the UN report on the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity for business, shows that few of the world’s largest companies are currently communicating about biodiversity risks or opportunities with mainstream investors. This is despite the estimated US $2-4.5 trillion annual economic cost of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. Analysing the business risks by sector, PwC found that risks related to declining biodiversity and loss of ecosystem services are already impacting business.
Primary industries such as extractives, forestry, farming and fishing are affected most broadly but no sector escapes untouched. Reduced productivity, scarcity or increased cost of resources, disruption of operations, reputation and financing risks, litigation, changing consumer and purchaser requirements were just some of the risks identified by the firm as affecting industries including mining, farming, utilities, FMCG, healthcare, financial services and technology companies. Despite this, when asked to rate levels of concern about a range of threats to their business growth prospects, only 27 per cent of 1,100 global CEOs said they were concerned or extremely concerned about the impact of biodiversity loss in a recent PwC survey. Hidden within the headline figures are significant regional variations. African and Latin American CEOs are three times more concerned about the threat to business from the loss of biodiversity than UK and North American business leaders.
Further details are available at: www.ukmediacentre.pwc.com/News-Releases/Biodiversity-threat-will-eclipse-climate-change-economic-impacts-but-still-misses-CEO-and-valuations-radar-PwC-study-e9b.aspx