Curitiba, Brazil, 23 March 2006 – The International Finance Corporation, the private arm of the World Bank, launched today a Web-based guide to help companies operating in emerging markets understand, manage, and benefit from biodiversity. The launch takes place on the occasion of the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

“Emerging markets hold the majority of the world’s most significant biodiversity assets,” said Richard Caines, Manager of IFC’s Environment and Social Development Knowledge & Innovation Group, responsible for the guide. “Through this guide, we aim to provide information that will contribute to a sustainable use of these resources by the private sector.”

The guide provides an overview of issues surrounding biodiversity, including its importance to society and the relationship of biodiversity to business. Through examples and links to other information, this Web-based tool helps businesses understand both how they can manage the business risks from biodiversity issues, and how they can capitalize on business opportunities, such as new markets, that are associated with biodiversity maintenance and protection.

The guide features sector-specific biodiversity issues for 10 major industry sectors, as well as several case studies on how companies (including a number of IFC clients) have addressed biodiversity issues in their business operations.

The guide can be found at: www.ifc.org/BiodiversityGuide
About IFC
The International Finance Corporation is the private sector arm of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. IFC coordinates its activities with the institutions of the World Bank Group but is legally and financially independent. Its 178 member countries provide its share capital and collectively determine its policies.

The mission of IFC is to promote sustainable private sector investment in developing and transition countries, helping to reduce poverty and improve people’s lives. IFC finances private sector investments, helps clients improve social and environmental sustainability, and provides technical assistance and advice to governments and businesses. From its founding in 1956 through FY05, IFC has committed more than $49 billion of its funds and arranged $24 billion in syndications for 3,319 companies in 140 developing countries. IFC’s worldwide committed portfolio as of FY05 was $19.3 billion for its own account and $5.3 billion held for participants in loan syndications. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

IFC and Biodiversity
IFC works with financial institutions and directly with companies involved in ecotourism, agribusiness, extractive industries, and other activities that may have an impact on biodiversity. As a multilateral finance institution with a development mandate, IFC is able to pioneer new business models and approaches to biodiversity protection by taking calculated risks and working with diverse stakeholders in addition to the private sector.