Measurement and analyses of biodiversity conservation actions of corporations listed in the Brazilian stock exchange's corporate sustainability index

Abstract

Anthropization of natural areas accelerated biodiversity loss and climate changes. Thus, it is imperative that all economic sectors adjust to sustainability precepts, collaborating to the maintenance of ecosystems. Therefore, we questioned: Are sustainable companies developing sufficient actions to preserve and/or conserve biomes where they are installed? To answer, we estimated the biodiversity impacts on the Brazilian biomes developed by 11 companies which's participated, uninterruptedly, in all ISE portfolios between 2005 and 2014. We used the LIFE certification methodology (Lasting Initiative for Earth) to qualify and quantify the minimum externalities, and mitigations of each corporation. Ten corporations generated 96% of total externalities, while mitigated only 10%. One financial institution did not develop mitigations, and one company of chemical/petrochemical sector described biodiversity in Brazil as irrelevant and insignificant. Only company of paper/cellulose mitigated their externalities. This company developed 77% of total scores calculated, by creating 41,600 ha of Protected Areas. Thus, the forest sector mitigated 30% of total externalities calculated for the 11 companies. That is, the organizations analyzed here demonstrated that they do not yet internalize the importance of promoting biodiversity conservation actions as a way to minimize their impacts. The LIFE certification methodology can be considered an additional tool for environmental management, indicating areas in which a company has the potential to improve management through the calculus of partial results of externalities. Also, the methodology allows for the strengthening of transparency of sustainability of companies on the Brazilian Stock Exchange (B3) and society as a whole, once the mitigation of environmental impacts through biodiversity conservation actions contributes to promoting the resilience and resistance of ecosystems, allowing the maintenance of ecosystem services, generating social welfare, economic consciousness and environmental equilibrium.