UEBT

UEBT was glad to contribute last week in Bangkok with IFEAT and other partners the #essentialoils and #aroma sectors to promote #ethicalsourcing with respect for #people and #biodiversity in origins.

Here are key points of decision on #digitalsequenceinformation or #DSI. #COP16 adopted modalities for a #voluntary multilateral mechanism, including a global fund now called “Cali Fund.” Large companies that use DSI (possible sectors involved, including #cosmetics, are listed) are called upon to share 1% of their profits or 0.1% of their revenue. #biodiversity #biodiversite #geneticresources #nagoyaprotocol #fornature #benefitsharing #responsiblesourcing #ethicalsourcing UEBT UN Biodiversity Business for Nature

Delighted to have participated at COP16 Colombia in Colombia and contributed to business and biodiversity forum in which 3 UEBT member companies (NELIXIA and Ecoflora Cares, Natura &Co) were invited to share experiences - 2 of them SMEs.   Having attended CBD COPs for 25 years, changes over the last years are remarkable. Awareness on biodiversity was virtually non-existent, but is highest ever now (https://shorturl.at/5KiMW). Same holds true for business awareness – amazing to see business at COP16, in terms of numbers and engagement (Business for Nature).   All this is certainly reason for hope and optimism, but we should also be realistic regarding the outcomes of COP16. With only 6 years left to 2030…   1. few countries presented their NBSAPS on time, while these are the plans through which 2030 targets need to be realised 2. COP 16 negotiations were not finalised (as quorum was lost when negotiators left for their planes) - no agreement was reached on issues such as financing the 2030 goals. 3) encouraging to see that pioneering businesses started to engage in measuring and disclosing biodiversity impacts and dependencies (Target 15). Yet, this reporting is lengthly and costly, and it remains to be seen if this will lead to actual follow-up action on biodiversity. As Matt Jones said, reporting is not an aim in itself: Target 15 should lead to business disclosure of meaningful activities in support of all relevant targets of the 2030 Biodiversity Targets  4)finally, many initiatives encourage business to focus on drivers of biodiversity loss (water, pollution, climate, land use), while there is too little attention for actions to that conserve, restore, sustainably use biodiversity (the reason for which UN Biodiversity was created)   That being said, exchanges were very insightful. Here are some of my take-aways for business to contribute to the 2030 goals. 1) Each CEO needs to put nature and biodiversity at the core of its business and include this in its governance (Rob Cameron) 2) Business should not wait for governments to finalise their plans (e.g. NBSAPs), it start leading on biodiversity (Braulio Dias) 3) As Paul Polman said, business need to be courageous and demonstrate real ambition in setting goals, finding solutions on the way 4) And in very practical terms, company commitments need to be backed by procurement practices so that biodiversity measures of SMEs and their networks of farmers along supply chains are supported (Elisa Aragon and Nicolás Cock Duque) 5) Don’t wait for perfect metrics. Even if biodiversity cannot be fully measured yet, don’t postpone action, connect to local biodiversity and local stakeholders and find solutions jointly (Ministry Environment Susana Muhamad) 6) People and biodiversity are intrinsically connected, also in business supply chains, and should always be considered jointly. This clearly underlined by the creation of a permanent observer status for local and indigenous communities in the CBD.

UEBT is proud to issue its latest Monitoring and Evaluation Report 2024 - detailing UEBT's progress in 2023. The actions that UEBT members (166 in 2023) and their suppliers implement as part of our responsive and differentiated programs have a reach covering: 🌼 several continents, 🌼 involve improvement of sourcing practices for more than 130 different botanical species and ingredients from nature... 🌼 for more than 1,100 supply chains, and 🌼 affecting tens of thousands of field operators... 🌼 in more than 70 countries! The report also summarizes recent UEBT and commissioned studies that have shown positive effects emerging from our work. 👍👍👍 Recommendations for the future include further balancing ⚖ our work with committed companies on improvements with attention on local #producers and #workers in #sourcing areas. In addition, we will step up our emerging work on #livingincome 💶 and on #regenerative 🍃 practices, and ensure our approaches are workable in the different contexts we work in. We hope you will enjoy reading the latest of our reports! READ OR DOWNLOAD HERE: https://lnkd.in/gmE6W3tn

Proud to have supported UN Biodiversity and the business engagement team including Bianca Brasil at the Business and #Biodiversity Forum - the official event of the SCBD for business. We were able to moderate two panels including this one facilitated by our Exec Director Rik Kutsch Lojenga on #bioeconomy with leaders including Natura &Co ‘s Ana Beatriz Macedo da Costa. Our messages to the hundreds of people in the room - and those of our members including the CEOs of NELIXIA and Ecoflora Cares who also spoke in the closing leadership panel of the day included: 🦋 Brands and International companies must work in #supplychains, via long term partnerships with their suppliers. 🦋 Local companies and their voices need to be heard in developing #NBSAPs and incentives must be created to ensure they don’t carry all the costs and burdens of sustainable practices 🦋 Companies cannot only focus on larger commodities but also the strategic supply chains that may be low volume but often represent 100% of people’s #livelihoods and where biodiversity is high and threatened 🦋 Engaging at source means investing and supporting suppliers, #SMEs on the front lines and working with them to support people and biodiversity including offering long term commitments and incentives for them to take the risks often necessary to do biodiversity friendly practices or social projects in the origins Maria Julia Oliva Simona D'Amico Sarah Lucas Elisa Aragon Nicolás Cock Duque Cristiane De Moraes

So much energy and enthusiasm yesterday at #COP16 in our green zone event! In partnership with the Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible of Colombia, part of their #Entrepreneurship and #Biodiversity Forum! Insights on the importance of engaging business, and especially #SMEs in updating and implementing #NBSAPs and amazing stories from #biodiversity-based businesses contributing to all targets of the #KMGBF - beautiful stories restorative action with small farmers and communities - #Guaicwood, #Perubalsam, #Jaguafruit, #Ucuuba and more! Thanks to all who joined and our speakers and co-hosts including Nicolás Cock Duque for his inspiring Keynote about Ecoflora Cares and Charmian (Char) Love sharing about Ucuuba in the #Amazon for the EKOS products of Natura &Co (and letting us all try the hand cream!), Elisa Aragon sharing work on #natural ingredients from Central America for #beauty, #herbaltea global brands. And hearing from esteemed colleagues from Colombia and #Brazil on the importance of private sector contributions to NBSAPs including Claudia Marcela Betancur Giraldo and Mário Cardoso. Part of our project partnership with Alejandro Bañol Salazar and with Maria Teresa Becerra Ramirez at the Ministry. Thanks to our GIZ colleagues Andreas Gettkant and Elke Huettner for expert moderation and warm opening remarks, respectively. And to Slendy Díaz for the excellent collaboration as well.

Yesterday we launched the UEBT #biodiversitybarometer report at #COP16 in Colombia at a press conference. For 15 years at UEBT we have been tracking the rising awareness of #biodiversity, which used to be very low when the Biodiversity Barometer began. Now awareness has soared - 9 out of 10 people - of all ages - know with confidence and accuracy what it means, and their expectations to protect and restore it have hit new heights. However, we also see that lack of action and transparency from companies is making consumer trust very low. 90% of consumers feel it is the moral obligation of humans to regenerate biodiversity but less than one out of four completely agree that the private sector is genuinely focused on this. It's a huge opportunity for biodiversity-conscious businesses to meet these clear public expectations and take greater action on #biodiversity and transparently communicate about this. See more insights and download the full report: https://lnkd.in/g4HrQ3M6 UN Biodiversity Toluna

Attending #COP16 and near the green zone or need a break from Bloom or Blue Zone? Last chance to register. Use the QR code to register and select any of the choices from 14:00 today. This event below covers a keynote and several company panels.

Proud of UEBT member Natura &Co here at #Bloom24 at #COP16 as their head of sustainability Angela Pinhati shares their targets for 2025 supporting 55 #Amazon communities and 2 million hectares and growing this to 3 million by 2030. And also announcing their achievement of the first UEBT certified #regenerative practices ingredient for their #Brazilnut sourced from the Amazon. True transformation and example of immediate action that is needed #fornature Great nature strategy masterclass organized by Business for Nature. Learn more about UEBT’s regenerative ingredients programme here: https://lnkd.in/gxBM8fFd

Going to #COP16? join us at this green zone event we co-host with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the ABS-Biotrade on 25 October for a focus on #biodiversity based businesses and how they contribute to the #KMGBF Speakers include Charmian (Char) Love from Natura &Co Nicolás Cock Duque from Ecoflora Cares Elisa Aragon from NELIXIA Cecil le Fleur indigenous leader and chairperson of the National Khoi-San Council of South Africa Michel Mane Mário Cardoso of CNI Brazil Claudia Marcela Betancur Giraldo of BIOINTROPIC Camilo Jaramillo of Kahai SAS pre registration required: https://lnkd.in/ghGw55j9 Part of the Forum on Entrepreneurship and Biodiversity organized by the Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. Thank you to Slendy Díaz and Juan C. Pinto, Ph.D. for this opportunity!