The Biodiversity Foundation joins the celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity today, highlighting the need to promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and contributing to its preservation with more than 300 projects in collaboration with entities and institutions from the public sector, civil society and the business fabric.

Coinciding with this celebration, the first anniversary of the Spanish Business and Biodiversity Initiative (IEEB) is celebrated. This initiative seeks to integrate natural capital into business policy and management, highlight the contribution of large companies to the conservation of natural heritage and channel private financing to conserve biodiversity. Throughout this year, a total of 17 large companies have joined this initiative.

Biodiversity offers significant opportunities for businesses and is a key sector that can drive an economy that contributes to a more efficient use of resources. The Biodiversity Foundation serves as a bridge between employment policy and environmental policy, generating synergies in both directions to ensure that the environment and sustainability are the basis for generating better jobs and more competitive companies. To this end, since 2007, it has been the managing entity of the European Social Fund through the Empleaverde Programme.

The contribution of the Biodiversity Foundation to the preservation of natural heritage and biological diversity is also channelled through the Calls for grants for the implementation of activities related to terrestrial, marine and coastal biodiversity; climate change and environmental quality; the green economy and employment and international relations.

Within this framework and through the LIFE+ projects, projects are also promoted to promote the recovery and conservation of endangered species such as the Iberian desman, the Cantabrian capercaillie, the bearded vulture and the lesser grey grey vole, among others. In addition, the Biodiversity Foundation works for the protection of ecosystems. Along these lines, initiatives are promoted in the Natura 2000 Network, National Parks, Biosphere Reserves and their surroundings.

Marine and coastal biodiversity

The marine environment is home to great biodiversity and is the support of economic activities with a long tradition in our society. Along these lines, the Biodiversity Foundation coordinates the project  LIFE+ INDEMARES, co-financed by the European Commission. This initiative, which is in its final stretch, is the largest marine research and conservation effort carried out in Spain and will allow the declaration of an extensive Natura 2000 Network in the marine environment.

Also at the European level is the ECOSAFIMED project of the European ENPI Mediterranean Basin Programme in which Spain, Italy and Tunisia participate with the aim of strengthening cooperation between the European Union and the coastal regions of the Mediterranean for the promotion of responsible fishing.

In this area, the Biodiversity Foundation, as the Intermediate Management Body of the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) since 2013, has also launched the first call for grants to carry out actions aimed at protecting and developing aquatic fauna and flora, co-financed by the EFF. With this objective, 28 projects have been selected with a total budget of 3.3 million euros.

Photo: Silvia Revenga. Marine Reserves/ SGP- MAGRAMA.