B@B knowledge platform for sustainable approach
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Dilmah Conservation are developing a Business and Biodiversity (B@B) Platform to encourage greater cooperation between businesses in Sri Lanka, including SMEs, and links to national and global initiatives. The platform will provide science, technical and management advice on biodiversity conservation issues to assist businesses to become more sustainable.
The B@B Platform will engage and promote strong leadership of the private sector through a forum, where the sector can easily obtain technical support, share information, promote best practices and dialogue with state and civil society partners on biodiversity conservation issues to achieve a knowledge sharing system: a nationally- owned mechanism to promote dialogue and improve the exchange of knowledge, information and methods on biodiversity conservation, within and between the private sector and to link existing and emerging networks and initiatives. It will also help businesses to find solutions to adjust their activities to ensure fair income and sustainable growth, whilst providing benefits for biodiversity and ecosystems.
This initiative will provide access to sectoral best practice for biodiversity conservation through the Resource center of the B@B website. The platform will draw up an inventory of the current best practices through benchmarking initiatives supporting sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity conservation.
The B@B platform will also contribute to the development of principles of best practice implementation. Principles of best practices implementation will be discussed through workshops, involving businesses and diverse stakeholders from the respective sectors. These principles will assist companies in including biodiversity concerns in their core business, contributing to sustainability performance. Further, the platform will highlight outstanding contributions to biodiversity conservation. This facility will measure corporate performance on biodiversity conservation and assess best practices implemented.
Mechanisms for linking globally and regionally with sustainability bodies will be worked out and CCC will facilitate networking amongst regional chambers of Commerce and Industry. B@B will take the lead in establishing international links and networks with other such centers of excellence, networking bodies, notably are the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the UN Global Compact.
Sri Lanka-based businesses ranging from SME’s to national and multinational companies, business associations as well as expert institutions, state agencies and nature conservation NGOs For more information, contact Shiranee Yasaratne, Head, Regional Business and Biodiversity Programme, IUCN Asia Shiranee. yasaratne@iucn.org. Alikie Perera, Deputy Secretary General, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce alikie@chamber.lk