Partnerships

In recent decades, partnerships and cooperative initiatives of state and non-state actors have been increasingly called upon by the United Nations to contribute transformative solutions to the challenges of sustainable development. Many of such initiatives strive to end hunger, mitigate climate change or build sustainable cities, and are most deeply connected to natural resources and land use to achieve their objectives.

Engaging with business is vital for moving towards a more sustainable future. This paper examines nine different business and biodiversity platforms from across the IUCN network. This study aims to explore the benefits and challenges associated with these initiatives, so others undertaking this journey can be inspired and learn from these experiences.

In the Northeast Asia sub-region, environmental pollution, transboundary sand and dust storms (SDS), agricultural expansion, deforestation, and overgrazing are growing challenges that are being further complicated by the impacts of climate change. Desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) are a significant problem affecting soil, air and water quality, threatening forest and woodlands, pasture and rangelands as well as irrigated and rain-fed croplands that support the livelihoods of more than half of the sub-region’s population.

Many Parties to the CBD underutilise tourism as a means to contribute towards the financial sustainability of protected areas. The development of the present guidelines on tourism partnerships and concessions for protected areas is a response to this under-utilized potential and to recent decisions of the CBD on tourism.

This report draws widely from the diverse experience of landscape partnerships to analyze the challenges and opportunities for businesses and their partners, and lays out critical actions needed by businesses themselves, and by financial institutions, governments and landscape programs, to improve the effectiveness of landscape partnerships and replicate the approach in many more places.

Concerns about food and energy security, coupled with increasing returns from agriculture, have increased interest in agricultural investments in developing countries. Public debates about 'land grabbing' have questioned the socio-economic impacts of large-scale land acquisitions. There is new interest in business models involving collaboration between companies and communities. In Eastern Malaysia, community-investor business models have been implemented for several years to expand oil palm cultivation in customarily held lands.