The biodiversity crisis is unabated, and the urgency for change, including economic and industrial change, has become more evident. The European Business & Nature (EBNS) is an international event – organised by the European Commission – to involve organisations that aim to develop and explore sustainable business models also aimed at biodiversity conservation.
This year’s edition was held from 11 to 12 October in Milan, at the Palazzo Lombardia. As Etifor, we were at the forefront as co-organisers. We are proud to have been able to contribute to the programme actively and to have been present in several thematic sessions as speakers.
More than 450 representatives from the world of finance and business, but also politics and civil society, attended the Summit. Over the two days, more than 80 speakers in 20 different sessions illustrated the many challenges and opportunities marking the path towards the goals of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: halting biodiversity loss and living in harmony with nature by 2050.
The event was a valuable opportunity to take stock and intensify business action in transitioning to a nature-positive society.
Here are five key take-aways from the Summit:
- The European business and biodiversity movement continues its growing momentum
- We are moving from commitments to action, but action must come faster, and at wider scale
- Neglecting nature-related risks is now widely regarded as a failure to fulfil the finance sector mandate
- Realising a net-zero, equitable and nature-positive future requires a high level of pragmatism and agility
- Addressing climate and biodiversity-related risks together is starting to become the norm, but burdens and benefits need to be shared equally
Italian Business@ Biodiversity Working Group
As Etifor, we are proud to have contributed to EBNS 2023 and initiated together with the other co-organizers of the event, Forum for Sustainable Finance and Regione Lombardia, the Italian Business@ Biodiversity Working Group. The working table was created as a national branch of the European platform to empower Italian companies to contribute to a nature-positive future. The goals of the table are clear: raising awareness of the economic importance of biodiversity, promoting public-private partnerships, and alignin business strategies with international best practices.
The table is open to any company or financial institution that wants to make a concrete contribution to reducing environmental impacts and supporting conservation efforts. This action is not only possible and necessary but also cost-effective.
