‘Centre for Business Leadership on Nature Restoration’ brings together leaders in Biodiversity Conservation
United Nations Global Compact Network India and Refex Group collaborate to power biodiversity-positive initiatives
UN Global Compact Network India (UN GCNI), a non-profit society which functions as the Indian arm of the United Nations Global Compact, New York has partnered with Refex Group, one of the leading business conglomerates of India which operates across multiple business verticals, to launch Centre for Business Leadership in Nature Restoration, in Chennai, today.
The event was graced by Mr C Achalender Reddy, IFS (Retd.), Chairperson, National Biodiversity Authority. The launch workshop saw the participation of professionals in Biodiversity Conservation, major business entities, their representatives, schools, thinktanks and NGOs.
The Centre for Business Leadership on Nature Restoration developed by UN GCNI is a pioneering initiative aimed at significantly deepening and transforming the private sector’s engagements on biodiversity conservation. Through active collaboration and support from visionary business leaders, and government agencies such as the National Biodiversity Authority and State Biodiversity Boards, the Centre will enhance action, mnitoring, and reporting on biodiversity-positive initiatives through ESG, CSR and corporate philanthropy. UN GCNI established the Centre in Chennai, through an establishment and running grant from Refex Industries Limited (flagship entity under the Refex Group).
Elaborating on the initiative, Mr. Ratnesh, Executive Director, UN Global Compact Network said, “We are elated at the first-of-its-kind initiative and we are hopeful that it will have a positive impact on the society. The centre aims to support businesses and governments to achieve local, national and global commitments as part of corporate plans and national commitments made as part of key Multilateral Environmental Agreements, especially the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. UNGCNI seeks to actively partner with a wide range of corporate sector agencies on efforts to enhance our rich natural heritage manifested through our biodiversity resources and I am sure we will have active participations and collaborations.”
The Centre for Business Leadership on Nature Restoration will serve as a knowledge sharing platform for strategic integration of bio-diversity sensitive practices into business strategy and operations. It will support corporates to enhance the quality of the existing and upcoming compliance or disclosures expected at the national and global level with regards to biodiversity. The centre will enable better linkages of private sector action with global and national priorities and targets related to biodiversity conversation, apart from supporting multi-stakeholder dialogue for pragmatic policy directions which contribute to better coherence between business and biodiversity conversation objectives.
Sharing details about the collaboration, Mr. Anil Jain, Managing Director, Refex Industries Limited, said, “Refex Group is committed to a sustainable and eco-friendly business model. We are glad to partner with UN Global Compact network on this project and I am sure together, we will make a significant impact. The launch of this biodiversity centre is not just about preserving nature. it is also about educating and raising awareness among stakeholders and the community. The centre will serve as a hub for sharing best practices and success stories in ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation. By showcasing what can be achieved, we hope to motivate other stakeholders and corporations to join us in these vital efforts.”
The formal inauguration of the centre was followed by a panel discussion by experts in Biodiversity Conservation which covered the role of businesses, and academia in biodiversity conservation, innovative approaches to integrating biodiversity into corporate strategies, success stories and challenges in implementing biodiversity positive initiatives.
