SUSTAIN’s ambition is to facilitate transformative changes within the global economy to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. To deliver on this ambition, SUSTAIN will use a multi-disciplinary approach to expand and
further develop the existing knowledge base on business dependencies and impacts to drive better corporate and financial decision-making regarding biodiversity and ecosystem services, and reduce resulting financial risks.
SUSTAIN will support businesses through these different steps under three inter-linked work streams:
1. Development of tools, methods and knowledge products to support target actors.
2. Raising awareness among, and educating, target actors.
3. Engaging with and linking to the existing landscape of initiatives related to business, finance, and biodiversity
The key objectives are:
• To develop a database outlining the dependencies and impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services of businesses which functions across all economic sectors and across the value chain;
• To develop methods that economic actors can implement to reduce biodiversity-related risks and increase opportunities, and identify suitable indicators to be used to monitor progress;
• To develop a toolbox to measure, assess and monitor the impacts and dependencies of business on biodiversity; and
• To promote business cases that contribute to the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and promote public accountability by informing regulatory agencies,
financial institutions, producers, retailers and consumers.