{"id":18108,"date":"2023-10-11T11:44:25","date_gmt":"2023-10-11T09:44:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.etifor.com\/en\/?p=18108"},"modified":"2024-03-19T14:43:02","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T13:43:02","slug":"biodiversity-businesss-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etifor.com\/en\/publications\/biodiversity-businesss-opportunities\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting biodiversity in Italy: a cost-effective opportunity for businesses<\/span>"},"content":{"rendered":"
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According to the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Risks Report, the<\/span> loss of biodiversity and the collapse of ecosystems<\/b> represent one of the leading <\/span>environmental risks we will face in the coming years.<\/b> These risks could lead to a contraction of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by up to USD 2.7 trillion by 2030 (World Bank Report). This ecological crisis has profound <\/span>economic implications and requires an urgent commitment from all sectors of society.<\/b><\/p>\n

Etifor, with the contribution of the Forum for Sustainable Finance and the Region of Lombardy in the framework of the Italian Business@ Biodiversity Group, has produced a Position Paper that explores the economic opportunities arising from biodiversity, entitled “Protecting biodiversity in Italy:
\na cost-effective opportunity for businesses”.<\/span><\/p>\n

The health of biodiversity in Italy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

According to the European Environment Agency’s State of Nature in Europe Report, based on monitoring carried out between 2013 and 2018, <\/span>16.3% of species are considered to be in a poor state of conservation,<\/b> compared to the European average of 20.6%. Concerning habitats, only 9.8% of types are considered to be in good conservation status. The European average is much higher: 14.7%.<\/span><\/p>\n

These data present a still incomplete picture of the state of biodiversity conservation in Italy, but sufficient to highlight the need and <\/span>urgency to take action to protect biodiversity in our country.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Investing in biodiversity is worth it<\/strong><\/h2>\n

According to the European Commission’s <\/span>Impact Assessment Study<\/span><\/a>, investments in biodiversity conservation and restoration projects could bring <\/span>significant economic benefits, estimated at EUR 69,596 million by 2050. <\/b>Benefits arise from <\/span>ecosystem services<\/span><\/a> such as carbon storage and sequestration, water quality regulation, pollination and production of renewable raw materials.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the European Commission’s Impact Assessment Study, the benefit-cost ratio related to such interventions would be 14.7, equivalent to saying that<\/span> every euro invested in biodiversity can generate a return of \u20ac14.7<\/b> in the form of community benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n

The role of private companies<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The private sector can play a significant role in promoting biodiversity in Italy. According to the World Economic Forum, <\/span>over 50% of global GDP is generated by economic activities that depend on nature and its services.<\/b><\/p>\n

However, funding for biodiversity conservation falls significantly short of the estimated need. There is, therefore, a substantial financing gap for biodiversity conservation, estimated at between EUR 561 billion and EUR 773 billion per year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Italy, too, private companies have a crucial role to play in meeting this financial challenge: it can be calculated that, when divided by the turnover of Italian companies in 2020 (ISTAT), for every million euros of turnover, <\/span>companies would have to invest at least 93 euro in biodiversity restoration.<\/b><\/p>\n

Italian Business @ Biodiversity Working Group<\/h2>\n

The Paper clearly and concisely outlines our views on the role and opportunities for biodiversity-related businesses. It also introduces the main objectives of the <\/span>Italian Business @ Biodiversity Working Group,<\/b> an initiative born this year during the organization of the <\/span>European Business & Nature Summit,<\/span><\/a> which aims to maximize the results of biodiversity conservation and restoration in Italy by involving private and financial organizations.<\/span><\/p>\n

The aim is to raise awareness of the economic importance of biodiversity, promote public-private partnerships and align business strategies with international best practices to reduce environmental impacts and support conservation efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Protecting biodiversity in Italy: a cost-effective opportunity for businesses<\/h2><\/div>
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Position Paper produced by Etifor with the contribution of the Forum for Sustainable Finance and the Lombardy Region within the Italian Business@ Biodiversity Group.<\/p>\n

Year of publication: 2023<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Download the pubblication<\/h2><\/div>