From access to COP16 to expert advice and support in key business areas
The UK Business & Biodiversity Forum (UKBBF) is delighted to announce a comprehensive range of new and enhanced benefits to support existing and new members to really put biodiversity at the heart of their businesses. As the UK’s only business-to-business biodiversity hub, UKBBF is committed to helping companies understand the importance of nature and how to include it in their operations and these new member benefits should make it easier for companies to do exactly that.
Key to the enhanced benefits is greater access to experts in their fields who are already doing this in their own businesses. UKBBF Directors and Steering Group members will be running Drop-In sessions to discuss specific challenges, sharing insights, and collaboratively developing solutions. There are five sessions forthcoming, details of which will be on the website.
As an accredited observer at COP16 (21st October – 1st November), UKBBF will also be offering its members exclusive access to high-level discussions and networking opportunities. The UKBBF programme for COP16 includes:
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- Pre-event Online Briefings: COP16 summaries – what is it? what are the key topics? what can we expect?
- Panel Discussions & Official Side Events: Highlighting the success of the Nature Positive Business Pledge, onsite in Cali.
- Evening Reception at Casa Brittanica (UK House): An exclusive networking drinks reception for members and stakeholders in Cali.
- Stakeholder Hubs: On-site sessions in Cali to bring diverse stakeholders together, plus a Q&A desk at the UK House in the Green Zone.
- Online Briefings: Regular updates and insights provided online to keep all businesses informed.
- Post-event Briefings & Events: Immediate COP16 reflections and follow up events.
These important developments will also be underpinned by a new Insight series in partnership with the University of Oxford, a bi-monthly online event in collaboration with the University of Oxford’s Nature Positive Hub. This series provides members with access to cutting-edge research on biodiversity and its relevance to business practices. The first session focused on Nature Finance, and the next session, on 11th November, will cover the impact of Biodiversity Net Gain on business practices.
Mark Johnson, UKBBF Chair and Director said: ‘We have a great deal of expertise within the UKBBF, and we are really pleased we can open this up to members to really help them get the most of out of the experience we have between us. Putting nature and biodiversity at the heart of your business can seem daunting, large or small, and we want to help people to tap into the successes, challenges and opportunities that we know exist through our own activities.
‘We are also delighted that as an accredited observer at COP16 we can give our members access to a range of activities and networking, including a post-COP event to look at practical implications for businesses. Our main driver is about making things easier for people to incorporate biodiversity into all their business decisions and we hope these new benefits will really help with that.’
The UKBBF will also be holding its Bi-Annual Conference in the autumn. This pre-COP16 preparatory event, designed for both attendees and non-attendees of COP16, will be held in London on 1st October. Exclusive for members, it is a critical opportunity for knowledge exchange, bringing together businesses, experts, and policymakers. The conference will include keynote sessions, interactive workshops, and panel discussions.
For more information about UKBBF, and/or its new member benefits and strategic initiatives, visit www.business-biodiversity.co.uk