Bangkok, 13 March 2013: As part of its Business Ecosystems Training program to increase awareness on the critical links between business and natural capital, WBCSD trained 14 professionals on how to build business capacity on biodiversity and ecosystems, on March 6-8 in Bangkok, Thailand.
This training of trainer session follows a previous workshop organized in New Delhi, India at the end of November 2012. It is part of a broader effort to build business capacity on biodiversity and ecosystems and to equip companies with the skills they need to better measure, manage and mitigate their impacts on natural resources.
The 14 trainers, from organizations including WBCSD partners and member companies as well as different conservation and research organizations in Asia, spent two days learning how to deliver Business Ecosystems Training sessions (March 6-7). They received training on business-ecosystems trends, tools and case studies, as well as innovative training techniques. On the third day, 15 representatives from different companies in Thailand joined the trainers to be taken through BET Module1, about understanding the links between ecosystem services and business.
"Delivering the training ourselves to a third party is a very efficient way of learning; now I feel equipped and confident to deliver the entire training myself. My next step is to explore, together with PwC, if we can build up a community of companies in Singapore to look at the business case for ecosystem services" said Constant Van Aerschot, Executive Director of BCSD Singapore.
As a result of the workshop, the National Center for Sustainability Reporting in Indonesia will collaborate with Indonesia BCSDand Philippine Business for the Environment to raise business awareness on biodiversity and ecosystems and organize BET training sessions in Asia throughout 2013. Representatives from these organizations will first present the business case for ecosystems on March 22nd, during a forum targeting environmental managers from the IBCSD and NCSR networks.
The training was hosted by PwC, a WBCSD member company that has actively supported the roll-out of the program, and that will now propose BET training services to its clients.
Ms. Rosalind Yunibandhu, Manager of the Sustainability & Climate Change (S&CC) team, PwC Thailand - and a member of last year's WBCSD Future Leaders Team(FLT) - states:
"BET Training is more than just an awareness raising program; critically, it helps companies to better protect and create business value - through deepening their understanding of the risks and opportunities associated with their ecosystem services impacts and dependencies."
PwC was involved in several aspects of BET development, serving both as a BET Advisory Committee member and partner of the WBCSD Guide to Corporate Ecosystem Valuation (CEV) - a key element of the BET program. Through her participation in the FLT, Rosalind herself also personally contributed to the development of a framework for BET customization.
The course material is available for free on the WBCSD website for any company or organization to use. Any company wishing to receive the list of qualified trainers or know more about Business Ecosystems Training in Asia should contact Violaine Berger.
