How are businesses engaging in biodiversity protection in China?

With nature loss increasingly threatening human survival and sustainable development on a global scale, biodiversity conservation is becoming more and more internationally mainstream. As the world's second largest economy and one of the richest countries in terms of biodiversity, China in particular needs all social entities, including enterprises, to work together to promote biodiversity conservation.  

The Business Handbook for Biodiversity Conservation, launched by Business for Nature and China partners at UN Biodiversity COP15, is an attempt to help Chinese companies show greater action. Before the manual's launch, the editorial team invited Limin Wang, Vice President of the Yangtze River Ecological Conservation Foundation (CCF), to give his views on the topic of localization and globalization of conservation activities involving Chinese enterprises. 

Q | Weidong Zhou, China Director, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD); Chief China Advisor, Business for Nature (BfN); Co-director, Guidebook on Corporate Biodiversity Conservation 

A | Limin Wang, Vice President, Yangtze River Ecological Conservation Foundation (CCF) 

Q: Mr. Wang, you have been engaged in biodiversity conservation practices for many years and have worked with many enterprises in China. In your opinion, what is the current status of biodiversity conservation involving Chinese companies? 

The first step towards sustainable corporate change is participation. In particular, the participation of a company’s founders is the first step in triggering corporate action in biodiversity conservation. Only through participation can we feel and understand the importance of nature and therefore act to preserve it. Only through participation can we turn our reverence of biodiversity into love and care, design more products and models that reduce negative impacts on biodiversity, and incorporate biodiversity protection into our core product requirements, mainstream culture and even ethics. 

As a conservationist, I have worked in the SEE community for nearly 10 years and witnessed the participation of more than 1,500 entrepreneurs. Through participation, these entrepreneurs gained awareness on biodiversity and drove their companies and employees to design more environmentally friendly products. The examples are endless: Zhongke Ecology has turned fish stocking into a profit-making business model. Yachang, originally a highly polluting copperplate printer, has developed a new digital business model through innovation. This is a huge force driving our companies to participate in biodiversity conservation. 

Various organizations are also actively promoting corporate participation. The Green Supply Chain Project, launched by SEE in 2014, has led to green procurement by leading real estate companies, allowing more companies to produce environmentally friendly products and reduce the pressure on biodiversity. CCF is promoting the "Zero Carbon Yangtze Enterprise Low Carbon Co-creation Camp," which seeks to drive enterprises to low carbon development, while turning biodiversity conservation into a norm and standard for enterprises and even industries. 

Overall, the achievements are remarkable, but there is still a long way to go. 

Q: What advantages do you think domestic enterprises have in participating in biodiversity conservation, and what are the challenges they face? 

There are three main advantages. The first is the increased awareness gained from painful lessons learned. Over the past 40 years, China's rapid economic development has bred many successful enterprises, but it has also taken a huge toll on the ecological environment.  

In the Yangtze River, for example, species such as the Yangtze River Dolphin, white sturgeon, Yangtze sturgeon and shad have disappeared, and the finless porpoise, Chinese sturgeon and the four major fish are also in danger. It is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to avoid the biodiversity crisis that is constraining economic development.  

The second is the convenience of starting from everyday life. China is a country with extremely rich biodiversity. In the Yangtze River basin, for example, there are more than 400 kinds of fish alone. Enterprises along the river can act for biodiversity anytime and anywhere, starting from their surroundings.  

Then there is the opportunity of green transformation. Under the trend of ecological civilization, such efforts as "Clear waters and green mountains are mountains of gold and silver," "Yangtze River protection" and the "2030/2060 carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals," enterprises must shift to products and models that are conducive to biodiversity conservation. The state has also launched a variety of green investment funds to encourage enterprises to upgrade and make green transformations. 

Opportunities and challenges coexist. The difficulties for domestic enterprises to participate include the slow turnaround of large enterprises and the low capacity of small enterprises. Once the problem of “wanting to do” is solved, we still need to know “how to do”. Under the bigger picture of the Covid-19 epidemic and the global economic downturn, the ability of enterprises to participate in biodiversity conservation needs to be improved. 

Q: Based on the current situation, how should domestic enterprises and various stakeholders empower each other to achieve synergy in the field of biodiversity conservation? 

I'll answer it in four points. First is forming alliance based on common issues. Companies involved in biodiversity protection can join environmental organizations, such as SEE, to exchange information, learn from each other and grow together. 

Second is to share green philosophies and actions along the supply chain, empower all enterprises in the chain to act in accordance with the principle of “no procurement of environmental harmful products”, and adhere to the ecological priority and green development.  

Third is forming sustainability groups within industries. Enterprises in the industry can group together to share experiences and models of biodiversity conservation, especially low-carbon innovative technologies and products, and catalyze the green transformation of upstream and downstream enterprises in the industry.  

Fourth is societal collaborations. Enterprises can take the existing policies and circumstances into consideration, develop macro strategies, and leverage platforms such as foundations to integrate resources from enterprises, governments and NGOs to solve problems together. 

Q: After talking about domestic action, let's talk about going global. What kind of wisdom or transformation paradigm do you think can be provided by the practical experience of domestic enterprises for biodiversity conservation around the world? 

Depending on the purpose of participation, corporate biodiversity conservation can be divided into the following stages: developing corporate community relations, enhancing corporate social responsibility, realizing corporate sustainable development and sharing corporate social value.  

At present, domestic enterprises are still mainly in the first and second stages, and a few have entered the third stage. But these few companies have also generated a lot of practical wisdom, including corporate development models targeting biodiversity conservation, corporate green transformation with green, low-carbon technologies or models at the core, green supply chains with the principle of “no procurement of environmentally harmful products”, and investment guidelines targeting biodiversity conservation. 

Focusing on flagship species, enterprises in the same eco-region are working together to form a socially engaged conservation boom, which is a good model. For example, the "Keep the Smile of Yangtze River" porpoise conservation is a real and significant action for the protection of the Yangtze River, with at least 280 enterprises participating in it. With the flagship species - the finless porpoise - as the focus, it is easier for the public to understand and empathize, and therefore could better drive the participation of various stakeholders. 

Q: At this stage, how can domestic enterprises, while doing a good job themselves, make a greater voice and show a greater role in international biodiversity conservation? 

First of all, we must tell the "Chinese story." The Yangtze River protection is one of the most concrete and practical stories of China's ecological civilization efforts. The green transformation and low-carbon development of enterprises, with the goal of biodiversity conservation, is the key and core of this protection effort. Under its guidance, all chemical companies along the Yangtze River moved to at least 10 km away from it and upgraded their operations to reduce pollution and carbon. This story needs to be co-written by all relevant enterprises in the Yangtze River basin, and even nationwide.  

Secondly, we need to actively participate in international sustainable development organizations with a business focus. In general, the participation of Chinese enterprises in biodiversity conservation is still at a learning stage, and while sharing the Chinese story, we must also learn from successful experiences and mature practices abroad.  

Finally, we should actively participate in international affairs, including forums and annual conferences on biodiversity, and contribute the Chinese wisdom to global sustainable development. The “Corporate Pavilion” led by Vanke in the China Pavilion of the UN Climate Change Conference has become the “Chinese Business Pavilion”, which is a highlight of corporate participation in climate COP every year. Similar achievements should also emerge in the field of biodiversity conservation.