Biodiversity-Based Economy Development Office (BEDO)

Initiatives from Thailand and Europe strengthen Collaboration on Business and Biodiversity

The Biodiversity-Based Economy Development Office (BEDO) from Thailand and the Global Nature Fund, leader of the European Business and Biodiversity Campaign (EBBC) intensify their collaboration to support companies in corporate biodiversity management.

A workshop took place in Bangkok in January 2015, to train BEDO staff in implementing the Biodiversity Check for companies. The check was developed in the framework of the EBBC and has been applied by more than 40 companies in the EU so far. BEDO will adapt the Check to the requirements of Thai businesses and start with first pilot checks in the upcoming months.

Furthermore, GNF and BEDO jointly hosted a seminar to present the concept of the Biodiversity Check to Thai companies and institutions. Participants included representatives from Nestle Thailand, LatexSystems, CPF, Capital Rice, Industry Council of Thailand,Trade Federation of Thailand and the Bank of Thailand.

Through Biodiversity Checks, companies from various sectors - both SMEs as well as large and multinational companies - will be pointed out which effects and dependencies their operations have on biodiversity and ecosystem services. In addition, companies are given recommendations for measures to reduce negative effects.

Create Employment - Promote Biodiversity Conservation

BEDO is a public organization, created in 2007. With the ultimate goal to create employment, income, and opportunities for local communities, BEDO aims to promote the management of biodiversity resources utilization for economic purposes, to encourage sustainable conservation of biodiversity and to spread local wisdom at community tonational level.

Tropical with variations in geography and climate, Thailand presents 15 types of ecosystems. It contributes to 8 % of flora and fauna discovered in the world, despite its relatively small land area of 514,000 square kilometers or merely 0.345 % of the earth surface.

BEDO focuses on supporting businesses from the economic plants such as pineapple fiber business, coconut sugar syrup business and Bamboo fiber textile and composite products.

Since 2008, BEDO has launched a national biodiversity resources and local wisdom database project from a collaborative network with educational institutions, local communities and public sector. It allows related parties the access to biodiversity-based information, to monitor the changes in biodiversity effectively and to act as a supporting data system for legal protection and control of access, use, and distribution of equitable benefit sharing.

Strengthening Business and Biodiversity Networks

In 2010 the Global Nature Fund (GNF) started the European Business and Biodiversity Campaign. The goal is to strengthen the engagement of the private sector for biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The range of activities of the EBBC covers strategic approaches such as assessing and promoting practices of corporate natural capital accounting as well as practical actions including the support for companies which strive for the biodiversity friendly design of their premises. Other projects with and for the private sector aim to promote biodiversity criteria in existing standards and labels of the food and tourism industry.

Another aim of the GNF is to enhance the establishment of and share experiences with Business and Biodiversity in other parts of the world. Already in 2014 GNF has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with BEDO in Thailand. Currently, further close contact has been established to Business and Biodiversity initiatives in Poland, Mesoamerica, Lower Austria.

Further information: www.bedo.or.th