What is biodiversity?

Experts sometimes compare the rate of species decline to the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. In a relatively short time, life on Earth changed completely. In the case of the dinosaurs, the extinction wave was caused by the impact of a colossal meteorite, now human activities (mining, deforestation, climate change, overfishing, pollution) are the source of the misery.

Is that a bad thing? What do we actually care about the welfare of the dune pipit? Or of the olphant? At most, you could say it's unfortunate for those animals that they can't adapt in time. In retrospect, no one misses the brontosaurus, right?

Ecosystem services

On further study, the term 'ecosystem services' soon crops up. That term refers to the (economic) benefits that nature provides for free: clean air, cooling by greenery, fresh water, pollination of plants by insects, food, and so on. The total financial value of these 'free' services is inestimable, but certainly runs into the tens of trillions of euros per year.

So, besides all kinds of ethical and moral motives to work very hard to achieve robust ecosystems, including a high diversity of flora and fauna, it is also of great economic importance to do so. Unlivable areas, climate refugees, rising food prices or huge, uncontrollable forest fires like in Australia do not easily lead to increased prosperity or well-being. There is not much to do on a dead planet.

Green your business park: increase biodiversity

It is therefore good for entrepreneurs to gain at least a basic understanding of how their own business affects biodiversity. You can already have a positive impact by greening your premises and business park, hanging nesting boxes or insect hotels or installing a green roof.

Especially for companies with long chains, it also pays to have a clear picture of your dependence on ecosystem services elsewhere. For example, if you need cotton, coffee, cocoa or wood for your business, you don't want the soil to be depleted or water shortages to occur in production areas.

Those who want to future-proof business therefore make sure they know how to work to preserve biodiversity and ecosystems. Because the truth is hard: for a couple of billion years, nature is quite capable of doing without humans, but humans cannot do without nature. Just ask the brontosaurus.