Speaker
Description
The new EU sustainability reporting requirements require companies to evaluate and reveal their impact on nature, in particular on biodiversity, as well as the associated risks and opportunities. While these regulations aim to promote accountability and environmental responsibility, they pose significant challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which often lack the necessary resources and structures. Against the backdrop of ongoing political debates about the scope and feasibility of such reporting frameworks, there is an increasing demand for practical, science-based support to help SMEs navigate this evolving landscape.
In the interdisciplinary Business for Biodiversity research project, we work closely with SMEs in the German food sector to help them overcome these challenges. Together with these companies, we explore how biodiversity impacts can be assessed and how practical, science-based measures can be developed and implemented to promote biodiversity-friendly business practices. A central element of this effort is the creation of Transformation Labs (T-Labs), collaborative learning spaces where researchers and employees co-develop company-specific solutions.
From a natural science perspective, we plan to systematically review existing tools, data sources and indicators for assessing corporate impacts on, and dependencies on, biodiversity. This will include comparisons of major biodiversity footprint accounting approaches, as well as different methods for identifying biodiversity-related risks and opportunities. Global and regional geospatial analyses will be carried out in close collaboration with participating companies to examine which biodiversity-relevant data is already available, identify gaps and explore how this data can be used to support practical biodiversity reporting.
By linking scientific knowledge with practical application, the project aims to encourage SMEs to engage more actively with biodiversity-related challenges, and to develop feasible approaches together for improved biodiversity reporting and action.
| Status Group | Doctoral Researcher |
|---|---|
| Poster Presentation Option | Yes, I’m willing to present as a poster. |
