The Earth is unique compared to all other known planets because it has life. However, many species are disappearing from the Earth forever, and it is our fault. We are usurping their habitats and the resources they need to survive. We are poisoning them with the waste we leave behind and spreading deadly diseases to them.

The rate at which species are going extinct is as great, or greater than, the rates experienced during the five great mass extinction events in life’s history, during which up to ~90% of species disappeared. Failure to stop these human-caused extinctions will lead to another global mass extinction.

It would be both arrogant and naïve to believe we could survive such an event. Everyone laments the “biodiversity crisis” and thinks “something should be done”. At the same time, however, most seem to be waiting for someone else to do that something. But we all contribute to the human pressures on biodiversity.

Businesses are uniquely positioned to make a difference when it comes to addressing the biodiversity crisis because their activities or value chains are nearly always in direct contact with biodiversity. We survive by using the Earth’s resources – land, water, biomass, minerals, etc. We also leave behind us waste and novel entities – greenhouse gases, plastic, synthetic chemicals, and much more. When we use these resources or leave our waste behind in nature, we impact biodiversity.

Businesses can reduce the pressure from their activities on biodiversity by maximising the efficiency of their resource use and by eliminating or reducing the waste they leave behind. The recommendations in this publication are designed in the hope of inspiring and helping businesses to become part of the solution when it comes to addressing the biodiversity crisis.