Preserving biodiversity, the private sector in action
published on 17 March 2021
The current epidemic reminds us of the strong correlation between the multiplication of epidemics and the biodiversity crisis. This crisis is, along with the fight against climate change, the environmental emergency of this decade. Faced with a situation that continues to worsen, the international community is strengthening its mobilisation in 2021, culminating in the COP 15 Biodiversity Conference to be held in China next May.
The preservation of ecosystems is a prerequisite for sustainable development and the World in Common to which Proparco is committed. This is why we have chosen to dedicate this new issue of the Private Sector and Development magazine to biodiversity and more particularly to the major role that the private sector can play in its preservation.
From agriculture to tourism, through renewable energies and new technologies, all sectors are confronted with this issue, which is perceived as both a responsibility and an opportunity. To mitigate its impact on living organisms, the private sector is implementing several initiatives to protect and restore ecosystems.
In this issue, some twenty researchers and leaders of companies, foundations and NGOs present some of these inspiring initiatives, using examples and key figures. This review also raises the question of the relationship between the public, the private sector and civil society, imagines the role of the private sector in financing biodiversity and proposes steps to better involve businesses in the restoration of the natural environment.
