Ambipar supports the Global Reporting Initiative in updating indicators for the preservation of biodiversity

MSN – Forbes Brazil – BrandVoice – 22/06. Photo: © Pixabay

Ambipar, a Brazilian multinational specialized in environmental management with presence in 16 countries in South America, Europe, Africa, North America and Antarctica, together with KPMG and One Earth, is supporting the revision of the Biodiversity Standard (GRI 304) of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The development of an updated biodiversity standard for sustainability reporting was assessed as necessary, as the crisis related to the topic shows that corporations need to take the lead and be more responsible for their impacts on the world.

Funding of more than €150,000 (R$920,000) has already been secured as a special project under the Global Standards Fund, allowing GRI to begin planning for the initiative.

Together, the international services company KPMG, Ambipar and the One Earth foundation, based in the United States – in addition to an individual private donor -, pledged to support the Global Reporting Initiative, safeguarding the neutrality of the process for defining the GRI Standards .

The Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB), the independent body responsible for defining the GRI Standards, identified as a priority in its work plan 2020-2022 the revision of the GRI Standard 304: Biodiversity (2016). With initial resources now secured, the GRI 304 update process and schedule will be released in due course by the GSSB.

All funding arrangements adhere to the GSSB Due Process (GSSB Due Process), which ensures that standards are developed independently and transparently, serving the public interest.

According to the sustainability director at Ambipar, Onara Lima, the company is committed to practices that enable the circular economy to redefine the common future and use the GRI Standards for credibility, impartiality and trust in its processes. “We believe that, through the implementation of the GRI Standards, it is possible to materialize our ESG targets and indicators recognized worldwide, enabling transparent communication with our stakeholders. For this reason, and because we believe in the importance of biodiversity for the planet, a responsibility of all of us, we support the new GRI Biodiversity Standard”, she says. According to the executive, Ambipar is supporting the GRI project with the objective of standardizing the report on biodiversity, reinforcing corporate transparency and commitment to preservation.

For GRI chief development officer, Marco van der Ree, not only is the planet suffering from the loss of biodiversity, but organizations are financially affected in many ways. “In fact, a recent Swiss-Re survey found that 55% of our global GDP depends on well-functioning ecosystems. Therefore, the incentive for companies to contribute to global solutions has never been greater. Understanding its impacts is the first step towards that goal”, he says.

According to the expert, GRI is committed to providing the common global language for sustainability reporting, serving as a catalyst for change. The Global Sustainability Standards Council (GSSB) regularly reviews and updates the standards to reflect leading global practices in environmental and social impact reporting. “I am grateful to the four initial funders for contributing to a new Biodiversity Standard that will illuminate the urgent challenges we face,” he comments.

The GRI Standards are made available as a free public good, providing a common global language for dialogue on social, environmental and economic impacts. Still, funders are needed to enable GRI to complete the costly process of researching, developing and delivering a revised Biodiversity Standard.

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