Business and Biodiversity : Reciprocal Connections in the Context of Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS)

Abstract

This open access book presents useful knowledge and lessons that derive from on-the-ground activities and contributes to policy recommendations, focusing on the reciprocal connections between business and biodiversity in the context of social-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS). It introduces a set of concrete examples demonstrating the relevance of SEPLS to aspects of reciprocal connections between business and biodiversity. The case studies highlight the roles, attitudes, motivations, and actions of multiple stakeholders in conserving biodiversity while providing other benefits that directly or indirectly contribute to businesses. They also illustrate on-the-ground impacts of businesses in SEPLS – including positive and negative ones, providing insights on how to categorize and measure the impacts and dependency of businesses on biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people. This will help facilitate policy learning and evidence-based decision-making to promote the achievement of global goals including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Many of the case studies concerning SEPLS management derived from the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) provide rich evidence to detail and help clarify the interdependency between businesses and biodiversity while exemplifying innovative solutions to facilitate more sustainable business decisions and actions for socially and ecologically sound outcomes. Furthermore, the experiences in managing SEPLS where multiple actors negotiate and collaborate to meet diverse needs and interests provide practical insights on the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders and how to build partnerships to promote systemic changes towards sustainable futures. The book provides key messages derived from a synthesis of the case study findings, which will help stakeholders including policymakers, scientists, and practitioners to deepen the understanding of reciprocal connections between business and biodiversity and clarify challenges and opportunities for promoting more sustainable businesses and at the same time safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystems. This in turn will help further the science-policy-practice interfaces related to biodiversity, ecosystem services, and sustainable development.