Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 18, 2012—IFC,
a member of the World Bank Group, and the Union for Ethical BioTrade today
announced an agreement at the Rio+20 Conference to increase private sector
awareness of biodiversity and strengthen market frameworks for protecting
it in Latin America.
In addition to aiding environmental conservation, the partnership will
help preserve natural-resource assets that are critical to the sustainable
development of high-poverty regions such as the Amazon forest, Cerrado
savannas, and Caatinga drylands.
The joint program is part of IFC’s $1.9 million BioTrade Initiative, developed
with financing from the governments of Denmark and the Netherlands, to
promote systematic integration of biodiversity concerns into business models,
supply chains, and local or regional development strategies. During a Rio+20
side event organized by the ISEAL Alliance, a global association for sustainability
standards,
the program was highlighted as a successful example of innovative standards
and tools in sustainable development.
The program will focus on approaches to protecting biodiversity and the
long-term health and economic success of communities that depend on it.
It will develop verification systems to increase private sector adoption
of environmentally friendly sourcing standards; bring together key associations,
policymakers, and players from the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics
sectors to enhance biodiversity protection frameworks; and map biodiversity
markets in Brazil, Peru, and Colombia to spur private sector financing
and innovation in biodiversity preservation.
IFC Brazil Country Manager Loy Pires believes the program illustrates the
importance of businesses taking action toward creating a more sustainable
future. “The private and public sectors need to work hand-in-hand to promote
sustainable development for the benefit of communities and businesses,
and to safeguard the environment’s natural assets for future generations,”
he said.
Raising awareness is key to attaining these public-private environmental
goals. The Union for Ethical BioTrade’s 2012 Biodiversity Barometer shows
that 94 percent of Brazilians want more information about businesses’
sourcing practices.
“This high awareness, in combination with the importance of Brazilian
markets, is already driving changes in business practices,” said Rik Kutsch
Lojenga, Executive Director of the Union for Ethical BioTrade. “In an
increasingly globalized market, these changes are felt way beyond Brazil
and accelerate wider transformation toward a greener economy.”
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development
institution focused exclusively on the private sector. We help developing
countries achieve sustainable growth by financing investment, providing
advisory services to businesses and governments, and mobilizing capital
in the international financial markets. In fiscal 2011, amid economic uncertainty
across the globe, we helped our clients create jobs, strengthen environmental
performance, and contribute to their local communities—all while driving
our investments to an all-time high of nearly $19 billion. For more information,
visit www.ifc.org.
About The Union for Ethical BioTrade
UEBT is a not-for-profit association, which aims to ensure that sourcing
practices promote biodiversity conservation, respect traditional knowledge,
and ensure all contributors along supply chains are paid fair prices. UEBT
has over 40 members, including important brands in the cosmetics industry,
such as Natura and Centroflora in Brazil and Weleda in Switzerland.
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