WILLAGRI
Three multinationals with activities as varied as Gucci, a subsidiary of Kering, the pharmaceutical company GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) and the building materials manufacturer Holcim, are the first companies in the world to have set themselves targets for the protection of nature and biodiversity set out by the Science Based Targets Network (STBN) ). The decision of these three companies illustrates the awareness by the major industrial groups of their environmental responsibility.
The STBN is a global initiative to help companies set science-based targets to preserve biodiversity and natural ecosystems. It is in the form of a consortium of 80 NGOs, organizations and private companies determined to stop biodiversity loss. The STBN provides companies with a framework to assess their impact on nature and measurable and reasonable targets to reduce their harmful effects. His work concerns, in particular, freshwater consumption, land use and ecosystem protection.
Adopted after a year-long pilot program, Gucci, GSK and Holcim’s goals focus primarily on reducing their freshwater consumption, often through recycling and sealing leaks. Kering, for its part, is committed to avoiding the exploitation of natural ecosystems. These three companies are characterised by activities that contribute to the loss of natural areas.
Thus, the fashion professions (Gucci) depend on agriculture, which provides them with the raw materials necessary to manufacture their products. The pharmaceutical industry (GSK) and building materials manufacturers (Holcim) are major consumers of water and land. Mining, deforestation and construction in pristine habitats have been known to reduce the animal population by 73% over the past 50 years, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
These preventive actions are all the more urgent as half of the world’s gross product depends on nature, according to the World Economic Forum . The future of the global economy depends on it. The prosperity of businesses depends on the products and services that nature provides. The objectives set with the help of the STBN aim to strengthen the resilience of nature in the places of activity of the three companies.
COP16 in Cali
In addition, thousands of companies – including Gucci, GSK and Holcim – have already set scientific targets, validated by the SBT, in the fight against climate change, which is partly dependent on the protection of natural areas such as forests.
In addition to Gucci, GSK and Holcim, many other private companies are actively involved in the protection of nature and biodiversity. We can cite the cases of Patagonia, Unilever or Ikea.
Patagonia makes outdoor clothing from recycled materials and is committed to not exploiting natural resources. It also donates 1% of its turnover to environmental NGOs. Unilever has set itself the goal of reducing its ecological footprint through, in particular, its Sustainable Living program, which aims to reduce plastic waste, improve the sustainability of its agricultural ingredients and support regenerative agricultural practices. Ikea is committed to using only renewable and recycled materials by 2030. Ikea also invests in reforestation and biodiversity preservation projects.
The adoption of science-based targets for nature protection coincided with negotiations between governments and NGOs at COP16 in Cali, Colombia in 2024. Its objectives were to examine the commitments of each country and to specify the financing for the protection of nature and biodiversity. The conference concluded with a lack of agreement on many issues, including the strategy to generate $200 billion for biodiversity.
However, a major step forward deserves to be highlighted: the creation of a group representing indigenous peoples and a fund (Cali Fund) for the equitable sharing of genetic resources derived from biodiversity. This fund should be funded, on a voluntary basis, by cosmetics and pharmaceutical groups. 3,000 private companies were present in Cali compared to 1,000 two years earlier in Montreal.
At COP15 in 2022 in Montreal, 196 countries committed to protecting, by 2030, 30% of land, inland waters and coastal and marine areas and restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems. Unfortunately, these commitments have not been kept. On the contrary, biodiversity has continued to deteriorate.