here - the European Business and Biodiversity Campaign!

Proceedings of the Workshop and the
Evening Panel Discussion
Framing Resource Efficiency and Biodiversity –
The Role of Partnerships between NGOs and Companies
Brussels, 23/05/2011
Organised by the European Business & Biodiversity Campaign and the
Global Footprint Network
The European Business & Biodiversity Campaign is supported by the EU LIFE+ Programme.

Proceedings of the Workshop and the Evening Panel Discussion Framing Resource Efficiency and Biodiversity –
The Role of Partnerships between NGOs and Companies
Held in Brussels, Belgium, 23/05/2011
Editors: Stefan Mielke, Joost Bakker, Tobias Hartmann, Benita Heinze
Date: 17 August 2011
Global Footprint Network
Geneva Office
International Environment
House 2
7-9 chemin de Balexert
1219 Geneva
Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0)22 797 41 08
www.footprintnetwork.org
Global Nature Fund
Bonn Office
Kaiserstraße 185-197
D-53113 Bonn
Germany
Tel: +49-(0)228 18 48 6940
www.globalnature.org
The European Business & Biodiversity Campaign is supported by
the EU LIFE+ Program

Table of Contents____________________________________________________________________________
Framing Resource Efficiency and Biodiversity –
The Role of Partnerships between NGOs and Companies
Table of Contents
Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................... 1
I. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 2
II. Programme .......................................................................................................................................... 3
III. Presentations ...................................................................................................................................... 4
1. The Policy context: Biodiversity and resource efficiency ................................................................ 4
2. Mainstreaming of biodiversity in the business sector in Europe .................................................... 5
3. Success factors and pitfalls of partnerships between NGOs and companies ................................. 6
4. How can NGOs design partnerships with companies? Some practical advice ............................... 7
5. Lake Constance Foundation and Rewe ........................................................................................... 8
IV. World Café Results ............................................................................................................................. 9
V. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 11
1

I. Introduction____________________________________________________________________________
I. Introduction
The European Business & Biodiversity Campaign organised together with the Global Footprint
Network a workshop for NGOs all over Europe on May 23, 2011 in Brussels. The one-day workshop is
the first of a series of workshops and discussed issues regarding resource efficiency and biodiversity,
and the role of partnerships between NGOs and companies in Europe. The other workshops will be
held between the second half of 2011 and 2012 in Germany, Spain and Romania.
In early 2011 the European Commission launched “A resource-efficient Europe” as one of its seven
2020 flagship initiatives. An important element of resource
efficiency is the efficient and sustainable use of biological
resources. Over the next few months, the input from NGOs and
companies will be crucial in the framing of this initiative. With
the recent outcomes of the Convention on Biological Diversity
COP 10 in Nagoya, the European Commission and the 27 EU
Member States have underlined the involvement of companies
in advancing the biodiversity agenda. The European Commission
recently presented its 2020 Biodiversity Communication, which
foresees an increased mainstreaming of biodiversity in the
business sector.
Within this policy context, establishing a clear understanding of
the roles and responsibilities of companies and NGOs becomes
eminent. This workshop explored and extracted lessons learned
from passed and ongoing partnerships between NGOs and companies in the field of biodiversity and
resource efficiency and thus laid the foundation and provided advice on future partnerships. This
workshop was be open for NGOs only.
Key topics were:
� Providing up to date information about “business and biodiversity” initiatives within the
emerging 2020 European policy context.
� Exchanging experiences of and determining conditions for partnerships between NGOs and
companies to improve resource efficiency and conserve biodiversity.
� Establishing criteria for successful partnerships between NGOs and companies.
2

II. Programme____________________________________________________________________________
II. Programme
Time Topic Speakers
10.00-10.20 � Welcome
Wiebke Herding
� Round of introductions
(ON:SUBJECT)
10.20-10.30 � Short presentation of the European
Stefan Hörmann
Business & Biodiversity Campaign
� Goals of the workshop
(Global Nature Fund)
10.30-10.35 � Agenda of the workshop
� Listening tasks
10.35-10.50 The policy context: Biodiversity and resource
efficiency – an enabling environment for
partnerships between NGOs and companies
10.50-11.05 Mainstreaming of biodiversity in the business
sector in Europe – B&B Initiatives as a catalyst
Wiebke Herding
(ON:SUBJECT)
Sebastian Winkler
(Global Footprint Network)
Daan Wensing
(IUCN The Netherlands
Leaders for Nature)
11.05-11.15 Short break
11.15-11.30 � Presentation of listening tasks Wiebke Herding
(ON:SUBJECT)
11.30-11.45 Success factors and pitfalls of partnerships
Stefan Mielke
between NGOs and companies
(Global Nature Fund)
11.45-12.20 � Plenary discussion Wiebke Herding
(ON:SUBJECT)
12.20-13.30 Lunch break
13.30-15.00 World Café: How can NGOs and companies work
together to reverse biodiversity loss and bring
about a resource-efficient Europe?
� 3 rounds à 25 min
15.00-15.30 � Presentation of World Café results Wiebke Herding
(ON:SUBJECT)
15.30-16.00 Coffee break
16.00-16.40 How can NGOs design partnerships with
Amanda del Rio Murillo
companies? – Some practical advice
(Fundacion Global Nature),
Sam Tarrant (RSPB)
16.40-17.00 � Plenary discussion Wiebke Herding
(ON:SUBJECT)
17.00-17.10 � Wrap-up Stefan Mielke
(Global Nature Fund)
17.10-17.30 � Closing round Wiebke Herding
(ON:SUBJECT)
3

III. Presentations: Policy Context: Biodiversity and resource efficiency – Sebastian Winkler__________________
III. Presentations
1. The Policy context: Biodiversity and resource efficiency
Presentation by Sebastian Winkler, Global Footprint Network
Sebastian provided an overview of the evolving global and EU policy context which potentially would
entail greater collaboration between companies and NGOs. At the global level and in the lead up to
Rio+20, the Green Economy (UNEP) and Green Growth (OECD) initiatives are key policy areas. At the
European level, this is expressed through the Resource Efficiency Strategy, one of the seven EU 2020
flagship initiatives. The strategy aims to transform European production and consumption towards
resource-efficiency. In September 2011, the Commission will publish a roadmap of how to achieve
this aim. The door for input on concrete targets and actions is open for all stakeholders. Defining the
targets and implementing the actions will
only be possible through an informed
dialogue between companies and NGOs.
He stressed that ownership and trust are
critical for delivery.
In May 2011, the EU 2020 biodiversity
strategy was published, which calls
amongst others, for better protection for
ecosytems and a stronger involvement of
the private sector in biodiversity
conservation.
The economic crisis may be an opportunity
to transform companies towards resourceefficient
production beyond mere CSR
activities. Raw materials and ecosystem
services are becoming increasingly scarce
and may not be available in the future
anymore. Many companies are ill equipped
to deal with these new challenges and
partnerships with NGOs may provide
beneficial for both partners and the
environment. In general, NGOs are more
trusted than companies to bring about
positive change.
Why working with the private sector…
During the past two decades, partnerships
between companies and NGOs have become more common. Although both partners have their own
motivations, they are joined in the aim to induce positive change. The main drivers for companies are
a better image, an increased business market and preparedness for new legislative requirements.
The EU 2020 agenda presents itself as a vehicle to align these goals with the objectives of NGOs.
Finally, Sebastian outlines the most important lessons he learned from his experiences of forming
partnerships with companies:
� Clear rules of collaboration are essential for a successful partnership.
� A pro-active, future oriented agenda needs to be agreed upon.
� SMEs should not be forgotten as potential partners.
4

III. Presentations: Mainstreaming of biodiversity in the business sector in Europe – Daan Wensing___________
2. Mainstreaming of biodiversity in the business sector in Europe
Presentation by Daan Wensing,IUCN the Netherlands, Leaders for Nature
Daan started with a brief description of IUCN’s background in the Netherlands. During the past years,
it almost entirely relied upon government funding which left the organisation vulnerable to budget
cuts. In 2010, the government funding was reduced drastically, so that half of its staff was made
redundant. IUCN in the Netherlands was thoroughly reorganised and a more diverse funding base
was created by involving companies.
One of the new initiatives is Leaders for Nature. It is an
international learning and action oriented network for current
and future business leaders of 19 companies, which was
created by decisive action of about 90 young professionals who
www.leadersfornature.nl
wrote a letter to their CEOs calling for more attention on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
When those companies did not act, the young professionals lobbied more intensively and in
collaboration with IUCN in the Netherlands, Leaders for Nature was established. In the beginning,
membership was free and the focus was on raising awareness among companies about biodiversity
and ecosystem services.
After a while it became apparent that awareness-raising was not enough to facilitate change. The
focus has shifted towards designing targets and implementing action plans. The meetings are not
public. They are organised by and for the participating companies, targeting CEOs, senior
management and young professionals. Many of the first members were consulting agencies. Today,
the membership base encompasses almost all corporate sectors. The programme of Leaders for
Nature covers different business to business meetings: master classes, Leaders for Nature forums,
inspiration meetings and best practice sessions. Overall,
the initiative focuses on the importance of ecosystems
and biodiversity for the business society; the
importance of integrating sustainability within the
core business taking into consideration the principle
of ecosystem thinking; and the importance of showing
leadership within various management levels
regarding Corporate Social Responsibility.
Leaders for Nature is an initiative that
was started by the private sector
calling for more attention for
biodiversity and ecosystem services.
(source: Leaders for Nature)
5

III. Presentations: Success factors and pitfalls of partnerships between NGOs and companies – Stefan Mielke __
3. Success factors and pitfalls of partnerships between NGOs and companies
Presentation by Stefan Mielke, Global Nature Fund
Stefan provided the results of two surveys that have been conducted among NGOs and companies in
Germany and Europe in autumn 2010 and spring 2011. Out of 31 German environmental NGOs, 12
took part in the survey. At the European level, 145 environmental NGOs were contacted and 29
participated. It is possible that a bias is present in the data because mostly questions were answered
by companies NGOs and that do not reject partnerships.
NGOs most often stated the following three reasons for collaborating with companies:
� additional funding for NGO activities
� finding solutions to ecological problems and
� to harness the marketing expertise of companies to increase public awareness
Companies mentioned the following three main reasons for collaborating with NGOs:
� improving reputation
� securing core business activities and expanding them to new customer groups and
� finding solutions to social and ecological problems
From the surveys it became apparent that successful partnerships are based on carefully considering
the partner. This includes looking at which
companies fulfil the core values of NGOs
and defining a mutual interest. During the
partnership, common goals should be
defined and monitored. The relation should
be balanced and respect the partner, its
approach and issue framing. A regular and
continuing exchange of information
between the two partners is essential, as
well as a joint communication strategy for
external communication.
NGOs have made both positive and
negative experiences with partnerships.
Many NGOs were satisfied by the fact that
Most of the European NGOs are open to
collaborating with the private sector.
they could influence strategic decisions of companies and that the companies showed a genuine
interest in the NGO. The financial commitment and the involvement of employees from both
organisations were also mentioned as positive experiences.
Negatively perceived was the fact that companies considered the different approach taken by NGOs
as an attack, or they simply did not understand how NGOs work. Other negative experiences
included an unequal relationship with companies in which the NGOs were patronised, or even used
for their reputation.
The last 20 years have seen big changes in the relationship between the corporate sector and NGOs.
Collaborations are more frequent and NGOs can now make a real difference in harnessing their
knowledge and experience. In the future, the number of partnerships will probably rise even more.
They will become more professional and issue related. Strategic considerations will play an
increasingly important role for parties.
6

III. Presentations: How can NGOs design partnerships with companies? – Amanda del Rio__________________
4. How can NGOs design partnerships with companies? Some practical advice
Presentation by Amanda del Rio, Fundacion Global Nature España
Amanda started with a brief introduction to FGN, followed by a presentation of several projects
involving collaboration with companies such as cleaning up the effects of an oil spill which has been
caused by BP. Another project involves legume cropping in protected areas, with the intention of
selling these legumes to the Carrefour supermarket chain. The money is then used to support the
conservation of Natura 2000 sites. A third project is about a plant nursery which has the purpose of
growing endemic species. Children, elderly and disabled people participate in this project.
All stakeholders (competitors of the company, other NGOs, different governments, scientific bodies
etc.) take part within the mentioned projects. There is no blue print for cooperation. The projects in
general are adapted to the respective stakeholders taking part.
Some companies want a broader media exposure than others.
The extent of media exposure influences the results of the
projects. Companies can be interested in these projects, for
example due to the amount of exposure being given. However,
the project delivers real benefits in protecting nature.
Unilever collaborated with FGN
to restore wetlands.
(Source: FGN)
Working together with companies means that NGOs are
innovating: research is the transformation of money into
knowledge and innovation the transformation of knowledge
into money. It is also about practical implementation and the use
of creativity. The business sector can provide a stable income for
NGOs. Before collaborating, many stereotypes need to be overcome. Both partners also need to
define the type of partnership they want to start: communication, dialogue or participation. These all
have different commitments, instruments and temporal horizon.
Lessons learned by both parties:
� Different visions do not need to be obstacles
� NGOs can be mediators
� Both companies and NGOs give more value to direct contact with the other party than the use of
certification and external guidelines
� Round tables are used to facilitate developments, agreements and commitment
Both parties benefit from the mutual access to contacts and expertise. Sharing is the key in these
projects. To avoid the failing of projects, one should not have too high expectations, hold regular
meetings and begin with a proposal and smaller projects.
7

III. Presentations: Lake Constance Foundation and Rewe – Marion Hammerl_____________________________
5. Lake Constance Foundation and Rewe
Presentation by Marion Hammerl, Lake Constance Foundation
Marion starts with a short introduction to the Lake Constance Foundation (LCF) and Rewe
supermarket chain. As part of the European Business and Biodiversity Campaign, Rewe is the
biodiversity advocate for the food sector. It was chosen because it is the biggest fruit producer in
Germany and produces many of its fruits in the Lake Constance Region, where the LCF resides. The
fruit production sometimes leads to conflicts when environmental and economic goals are not
aligned.
Rewe agreed to a cooperation between the LCF and ‘Obst vom
Bodensee’ for a time period of five years. The goal is to have a
minimum of 50% of all farmers implement biodiversity
measures on at least 80% of the cultivation surface. The
measures target the apple orchards and its effects will be
monitored by NABU and Bund, two of the largest German
environmental NGOs. Examples of measures are the use of
native flower seeds, insect friendly pesticides, ‘insect hotels’
(artificial homes for insects) and information tables for
tourists. Fruits being produced at these orchards are called
‘pro-planet’ products.
REWE apples with the Pro-Planet
logo
The first investigation shows that the orchards are in a much
better condition than expected. Due to the positive experiences gained with this project, the aim is
to transfer the biodiversity initiative not only to other fruit production regions, but also to products
other than apples. Furthermore, it is intended to integrate biodiversity into quality management and
quality certification systems. To reduce the monitoring effort, training sessions for assessors and
certifiers will be offered.
All fruit producers must comply with criteria for State labels. These labels have no ecological criteria
integrated. The intention is to integrate ecological criteria in these labels.
The REWE supermarket chain has developed Pro-planet products. Pro-planet is not a brand, nor a
label or a certification. It only indicates that additional (environmental or social) criteria were taken
into account when producing the product. Some of these products (for example apples from the Lake
Constance region) integrate biodiversity criteria. Soon, 20% of all sales will come from pro-planet
products. The feedback of customers is monitored to improve the (quality of) the Pro-planet
products.
Rewe is not the only company that tries to assess its influence on biodiversity. Other supermarkets
developed tools to integrate environmental criteria, but biodiversity is not always integrated.
The Lake Constance Foundation is a small NGO but its size does not hamper it in working with
companies or vice versa. It is possible that other, bigger NGOs see LCF as a guinea pig when it comes
to collaborating with companies.
8

IV. World Café Results ________________________________________________________________________
IV. World Café Results
The World Café is a method to establish an open and creative conversation process on a certain topic
in a business meeting or workshop. The method’s aim is to surface participant’s collective
knowledge, share ideas and insights, and gain a deeper understanding of the subject and the issues
involved. The results of the workshop’s World Café are presented in this chapter.
1. What is our motivation to create successful partnerships?
The motivation of NGOs to engage in partnerships with companies is manifold. It should be clear that
the reasons are not always purely idealistic. Most often, NGOs seek to solve an environmental
problem at a local, regional, national or international level that can not be solved by the NGO alone
or that is caused by a company or industry sector. Companies on the other hand have access to
different financial resources to fund partnerships for the protection and sustainable use of
biodiversity. Furthermore, companies have expertise in addressing different audiences which NGOs
are interested in approaching to improve awareness and facilitate action. In a time, when public
authorities relinquish more and more duties and reduce public funding, NGOs are looking for
different partners (i.e. companies) to achieve their objectives.
2. Which elements are missing at the moment?
� Practical and easy to use methodologies to
assess the impact and dependence of
companies on biodiversity
� Performance indicators to monitor the
progress of implementing a company’s
biodiversity strategy
� Knowledge and experiences to understand
the business case for biodiversity (e.g. drivers
of change, legal framework, customer base,
financial incentives) and convey the message
to companies
� Valuation of environmental services that do
not provide a service in economic terms
(intrinsic value of existence)
� More open-mindedness and business thinking
3. What advice can we give ourselves and others?
Traditional land uses that have positive effects
on the biodiversity can be supported by NGOcompany
collaborations. (source:FGN)
Much of the advice given focused on inter and inner-NGO aspects. NGOs should be aware of their
strengths because cooperation between them can be used to achieve more. The different roles that
NGOs play should be exploited, for example the “good cop, bad cop” strategy with organizations like
Greenpeace that are mainly for their public protest campaigns.
NGOs should also improve their knowledge, especially related to economic issues, so that they are
able to understand and communicate better with the business partners. This collaboration needs to
be seen as a long-term approach. Enough time should be taken into account for finding shared values
and risks. NGOs need to be realistic about what they can deliver and communicate the collaboration
as something positive, a joint effort of creating something together.
9

IV. World Café Results ________________________________________________________________________
To overcome continuing challenges, e.g. after a committed CEO stepped down, social media and
internal communication can be employed to “anchor” the project with the entire staff instead of with
only one person.
FGN presented its collaboration with companies
(Source:FGN)
4. How can we come to a strategic
approach to partnerships?
It was agreed that no new platform is required.
The idea of having companies approaching a
platform which then connects the company with
NGOs is rather difficult, but one can learn from
IUCN NL’s “Leaders for Nature” program and the
regional forums of the EBBC that connect NGOs
and companies more directly on a regional basis
with a shared geographical interest that gives
companies an incentive to commit.
Furthermore it is important that NGOs agree to
join forces. Companies take advantage of this
disagreement and postpone taking action. The
capacity of the EBBC should be harnessed.
Further NGO workshops organized by the campaign and the IUCN World Conservation Congress can
give new impulses and should be used to prepare an action plan with shared goals. A networked
approach could be chosen to be implemented and it will be necessary to start slow, e.g. by organizing
a meeting.
10

V. Conclusion_______________________________________________________________________
V. Conclusion
From the discussions and the presentation that were held during the day it was concluded that when
NGOs and companies collaborate on environmental projects, the most important issues to be taken
into account are:
� The implementation of a platform, possibly online is one option for companies and NGOs to
meet
� When working with companies, it is good to have NGOs blaming companies and refusing to
collaborate (‘bad cop’) and others that are more accommodating (‘good cop’)
� When limited resources are present, a long term strategy is the best option. One option is to
link this strategy to the EU 2020 strategy (or one of its flagship initiatives).
� Building networks: In order to initiate projects together with companies, it is very important
to have personal contacts
� At the next NGO workshop, it would be preferable to have companies presenting as well
All participants agreed that more activities need to be linked and that lessons need to be shared.
The following questions are still open:
� How to make sure that not only specific initiatives implement partnerships
� How to use the outcomes of the workshop in the organisation of upcoming activities
� How to use the outcomes when it comes to resource efficiency
� Is it necessary to create a platform for NGOs and companies and if so how can it benefit
biodiversity
� How much coordination and discussion do we need before we act
� How to use specialist knowledge and how to bring it together
11

VI. Literature on Resource Efficiency, Biodiversity and Partnerships____________________
VI. Literature on Resource Efficiency, Biodiversity and Partnerships
Arenas, D., Sanchez, P., Murphy, M., & Vives, J. (2011). Corporate Relations with local
communities and NGOs. Institute for social innovation Esade.
Austin, J.E. (2000). The Collaboration Challenge: How Nonprofits and Businesses succeed
through strategic alliances. New York: The Drucker Foundation
Cowe, R. (2004). Business/ NGO Partnerships - What’s the Payback? Ethical
Corporation, available from Global Policy Forum
http://www.globalpolicy.org/ngos/credib/2004/0404partner.htm (last accessed 17/08/11)
Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI) and Environmental Defense Fund
(2008). Guide to Successful Corporate-NGO Partnerships:, Retrieved August 3, 2011
http://www.gemi.org/resources/GEMI-EDF%20Guide.pdf (last accessed 17/08/11)
Palazzo, B. (2010). An Introduction to Stakeholder Dialogue. In Pohl, M., & Tolhurst, N.
(eds.), Responsible Business: How to manage a CSR strategy successfully (pp.17-42). Wiley
RSE, CSR Europe, European Alliance for CSR (2008). Proactive Stakeholder Engagement:
Practical Guide for companies and stakeholders
http://www.csreurope.org/data/files/toolbox/Stakeholder_engagement.pdf (last accessed
17/08/11)
The Partnering Initiative (2008). Developing the art and science of cross-sector partnerships
http://www.thepartneringinitiative.org/ (last accessed 17/08/11)
12

www.business-biodiversity.eu
Coordination
___________________________________________________________________________
Global Nature Fund
An international foundation for the protection of
nature and the environment
Partners of the European Business & Biodiversity Campaign
______________________________________________________________________________
IUCN Regional Office for Pan Europe
The largest global environmental network
dedicated to nature conservation.
Fundación Global Nature
A non-profit organisation committed to nature
conservation in Spain.
Bodensee-Stiftung
An international NGO that fosters sustainable
economy in the wider Lake Constance region.
Triple E
A centre of expertise specialising in the
relationship between economy and ecology.
dokeo
A consultancy that advises companies on
CSR communications, strategy and
reporting.
ALTOP
A publishing and media company that
promotes sustainable solutions.
The European Business and Biodiversity Campaign is supported under EU LIFE+
13