The World Summit on Biological Diversity officially opens today, bringing together countries from around the world in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, until 29 November, with the aim of integrating biodiversity into the energy, mining, production, processing and health sectors. The Summit was preceded by the High-Level Segment, in which representatives of the Conference of the Parties, the governing body of the Convention on Biological Diversity, have been working, together with actors from civil society, business, indigenous and local communities, youth and Governments, among others.

The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held, during the High-Level Segment, the Business and Biodiversity Forum with the Global Business and Biodiversity Alliance, a global network of platforms on the subject. The Spanish Business and Biodiversity Initiative (IEEB), coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition, is part of this platform. Its objective is to share information and good practices, as well as to cooperate in projects of common interest that support the integration of biodiversity into business models.

During the Forum, the Practical Guide to Ecological Restoration was officially presented, a useful tool for companies and for the administration.

This guide is aligned with the objectives of COP 14: to integrate biodiversity into the energy, mining, infrastructure, industry, and production and health sectors. It will be a methodological reference for natural capital restoration actions and has been a collaborative effort between the Biodiversity Foundation and six of the IEEB companies: Endesa, Ferrovial, Iberdrola, LafargeHolcim, Naturgy and OHL. With more than 100 experts who have collaborated with specific contributions or reviews, “it represents a global work that brings together the vision of administrations, the business sector, the academic sector and conservation entities,” Castañeda said during the meeting.