Budapest, 12 May 2023: The Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH), WBCSD’s Global Network Partner in the country, held its Business Breakfast and Forum on 28 March, featuring Diane Holdorf, Executive Vice President at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), as a keynote speaker. The event focused on the critical interaction between businesses and nature.
Dr Csaba Kandrács, Vice President of the Hungarian National Bank, warmly welcomed the participants and acted as the host of the event. In her keynote address, Diane Holdorf emphasized the urgent need for businesses to take action to halt and reverse nature loss, noting that every business depends on nature, with opportunities to invest in nature-based solutions (NbS) that can drive the transformational change needed to achieve net zero.
Katalin Sipos, Country Manager of WWF Hungary, discussed possible solutions and highlighted the need for cultural and value changes, as well as low-emission, low-tech solutions, stating that for some environmental problems, the simplest and most ancient solution are the best: nature itself as the solution. Sipos emphasized that climate commitments cannot be made at the expense of nature, but rather the change must be genuinely systemic and built upon nature.
Attila Chikán Jr, President of BCSDH, underscored the importance of the business community taking a leading role in achieving the rapid change necessary to address biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and climate adaptation. "More than half of the world's GDP depends on nature and its services. That means it affects all of us, whether we know it or not, so everyone must act," said Chikán Jr. "We need systemic changes instead of isolated measures, which require deep and comprehensive cooperation among the business community, scientific experts, political decision-makers, investors, developers, and consumers."
Following the presentations, a closed-door forum was held, where company executives and corporate, scientific, and civil experts discussed the current state and challenges of biodiversity, water, and climate adaptation in Hungary. The forum revealed many best practices and solutions.
The event was a call to action for businesses to play a leading role in achieving the systemic change necessary for a sustainable future in Hungary.
