In April 2011, WBCSD released the Guide to Corporate Ecosystem Valuation (CEV), which is the first of its kind, catering directly for the needs of business. It was developed through an 18-month process of close collaboration with businesses themselves – fourteen members road tested the Guide (see right-hand column), working with four partners: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Resources Institute (WRI), ERM (the main author of the Guide) and PwC.
Companies must anticipate that ecosystem valuation will be more consistently incorporated into public policies, regulations, and political decisions. Ecosystem values will also be increasingly considered by the finance sector and business-to-business customers as they assess the biodiversity and ecosystem-related risks and opportunities of investments and supply chains.
What the Guide is
- A framework for improving corporate decision-making through valuing ecosystem services
- A set of resources to navigate through related jargon and techniques