An assessment of companies engagement on biodiversity and related issues in India
Student name: Ms Ipshita Das
Guide: Dr Sapna Narula
Year of completion: 2015
Host Organisation: Global Reporting Initiative (GRI India)
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Ms Rubina Sen
Abstract: Biological diversity or biodiversity refers to the diversity of life forms on earth and at different levels. Biodiversity forms the foundation on which the ecosystems thrive and provide the ‘essential’ services to human beings. Any harm caused to biodiversity will disturb the entire cycle of services and furthermore lead to detrimental effects on the society at large.
Human activities pose a serious threat to biodiversity due to its excessive usage and unmindful exploitation of resources and ecosystem services. One of the key users of these natural resources and ecosystem services is the corporate sector, globally and in India. Companies, particularly mining, oil & gas, food processing, textile, pharmaceutical are hugely dependent on these to deliver their core business to potential customers.
It is in this context that the study aims at understanding engagement of companies with issues pertaining to biodiversity. The research is largely conducted through qualitative methodology, wherein, primary and secondary data was collected & analysed to understand three key areas including knowledge among companies about biodiversity & related issues; willingness among the companies to work on issues of biodiversity and current interventions undertaken by the companies to mitigate the negative impacts of their operations on biodiversity. Secondary data was collected through review of existent literature on the subject and reports of total 111 sustainability reports (year: 2012-2013 and 2013-2014) submitted by companies in requirement of Global Reporting Initiative. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with experts, academia, media, civil society organizations and companies to gain insights on the subject and validate findings from the secondary data.
The results indicate companies’ lack of understanding of how their operations impact biodiversity - either directly or indirectly. The companies use biodiversity & environment interchangeably. This is attributed to the lack of in-house experts and awareness cum sensitisation programme. The willingness among companies to work on the issues of biodiversity coexists with either no direct initiative or at best indirect initiatives towards Biodiversity. However, other social and environmental initiatives taken by the companies reflect their positive attitude in making a significant difference in the society.
9
All the companies adhere to practices related to legal compliance, while some follow voluntary guidelines like National Voluntary Guidelines (NVGs) etc. A few of the companies work directly to conserve biodiversity, though with support from civil society organizations. Disclosure of information on biodiversity aspect as per the GRI Guidelines is not comprehensive and leaves much to imagine. None of the companies reported to understand the impact of the supply chain on biodiversity. The challenges face by the companies include; lack of guidance, degree of reporting, lack of active participation and absence of a strong support system.
It is therefore recommended to organize awareness cum sensitization programmes for companies. The study concludes with a few recommendations that will enable companies to understand the issue better and take corrective measure to impact the biodiversity in a positive way
