Author: Bianca Wisseloo

ASN Bank's sustainability policy has three pillars: the climate, human rights and biodiversity. CREM has worked with the bank since 2014 on the formulation of its biodiversity policy and the development of long-term goals for this pillar. In 2017, the bank decided to become 'biodiversity positive' by 2030. This means that the combined impact of all of the bank's investments must be positive by that time. ASN Bank is the first bank in the world to have set this goal. (more…)

Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management) develops and manages the national road and water works and works on maintaining a sustainable living environment. Although 'natural capital' does not often appear as a concrete goal when carrying out these public works, it can generate explicit benefits. This is not currently obvious, as natural capital is a broad concept that is not always easy to understand, let alone apply. However, Rijkswaterstaat’s work lends itself well to applying the concept of natural capital. (more…)

Statistics Netherlands (CBS) is collaborating with Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR) on 'natural capital accounts' for the government. Natural capital is a broad concept – for these accounts it will be mainly considered to be ecosystems (the forest, the heath, salt water, fresh water), but will also include the built environment (see: Value of forest, heath and built-up areas mapped out). (more…)

VNO-NCW West (the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers, western region) established the Green Leaders network in the summer of 2016. This is a network for entrepreneurs who want to not only ease their burden on the environment, but actually improve it. It is a network of upscalers, family companies, the manufacturing industry and multinational companies from all industries. Together with the other four regional associations (VNO-NCW North, VNO-NCW Middle, BZW en LWV), they organize in-person meetings for these Green Leaders. During the meetings, participants are invited to participate in Green Circles. They can also contribute their own sustainability issues to the discussion. (more…)

The Circular Hotels Leaders Group was launched on the 9th of November. This is a group that has grown to 12 hotels that have already taken many steps along the path to sustainability, or are on the verge of doing so. They are: Stayokay Amsterdam, DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station, Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam, Amsterdam Tropen Hotel, The Albus, Mercure Amsterdam Centre Canal District, Ambassade Hotel Amsterdam, Hotel V, QO Amsterdam, Conscious hotels, The Student Hotel and Hotelschool The Hague. (more…)

Vietnam is developing quickly, leaving its low-income past behind and becoming a middle-income country. This rapid economic growth is accompanied by increasing pressure on the environment. While there is good environmental legislation, it is not always well enforced. The air quality in the capital, Hanoi, is one of the worst in the world and beautiful Ha Long Bay (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is facing heavy environmental pressure brought on by the increasing number of tourists. These are big challenges.  (more…)

The Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) is in a position to strengthen natural capital in the Netherlands. They have the ingredients, for example the 14,000 hectares of green verge along the roads that form an essential network for the spread of flowers and insects. They also have the areas next to the roads, the waterways (including shore areas), artworks and resource use. Inventory The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management would like to make the RWS contribution to the national and European ambitions in the area of natural capital more visible. One of the Ministry's goals…

Most spices are produced by small-scale farmers in developing countries. Their production provides many people with income, but also poses all sorts of social and ecological challenges. The Dutch spice sector recognizes that many companies are doing things like actively participating in the Sustainable Spices Initiative. In addition, the Dutch Spice Trade Association is intending to sign an agreement with the government and civil society organizations in the area of International Corporate Social Responsibility (ICSR). One ICSR issue in spice supply chains is child labour. (more…)

There has been increasing attention paid to the subject of natural capital in the financial sector in recent years. CREM and VBDO have developed a guide and training course to provide more in-depth information in this area: 'Natural Capital & Financial Institutions'. The VBDO is also working with the Natural Capital Coalition and the National Capital Finance Alliance in the Financial Sector Supplement for the Natural Capital Protocol. The EU has started another successful initiative, with the CoP Finance@Biodiversity, which is partially under the guidance of NextGreen. The sustainability pioneers in the business…

The mission of the Dutch Cuisine movement is to put a healthy and sustainable Dutch food culture on the map. Creative chefs and the many locally grown regional products make this cuisine and culture very special and help us to feel more pride in our Dutch culinary identity. To better publicize this unique food culture, Dutch Cuisine encourages chefs to be inspired by local products and to cook with them more often. However, the availability of these products can be a practical problem for the chefs. How can we ensure that these tasty products are easy to order? (more…)

The Netherlands Space Office (NSO) is administering the subsidy program 'Geodata for Agriculture and Water (G4AW)' on behalf the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With this program, the NSO is using public-private partnerships to stimulate projects that use satellite data to provide innovative information services to small-scale farmers in partner countries in Africa and Asia. The goal of the program is to contribute to the strengthening of global food security and more sustainable water use. Increasing the income of the small-scale farmers is also an important goal. (more…)

Civil Society Organizations and Business

Companies do not traditionally work with civil society organizations to focus on becoming more sustainable. In the Netherlands, this type of cooperation has become more normal, but in countries like Kenya, it is still in its infancy. CREM, together with Steven de Bie from Conservation Consultancy and local consultant Simon Thuo, was asked to provide training on working in this manner to Wetlands International Kenya. (more…)

The current efforts to ensure sustainable land use are not sufficient to achieve our ambitions for the climate, a circular economy and sustainability. With the world population increasing and consumption growing, the pressure on our natural capital is constantly increasing.

There is more needed to protect our planet

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An increasing number of companies are becoming aware of the fact that natural capital is essential for their business. These companies are trying to discuss and structure the topic of natural capital, also in collaboration with third parties. The non-business world is also increasingly interested in the interaction between companies and natural capital, both financially and societally. But how can companies properly inform stakeholders with the best reporting on natural capital? (more…)

... but were afraid to ask! Which raw materials are most likely to be in my product or semi-finished product? Are these resources scarce? What is the impact of these raw materials on biodiversity and how can I reduce that impact? Businesses and buyers can soon find the answers to these and other questions by using the 'Raw Materials Scanner'. This scanner is now being developed by TNO, EY and software developers, on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. It will first cover 64 metals; biotic resources, such as agricultural commodities, will possibly be added later. (more…)