The climate crisis - ecologic or economic?
- Mission Control
- Feb 27
- 3 min read
We're more connected than you think
Our beautiful county of Devon is home to 2,000 plant species, 43 recorded breeding mammals, all 16 species of British bat, and has 10 regular marine visitors. In 1998, a study revealed that 31 key habitats and 260 key species required urgent conservation action. This local crisis is just an isolated example of a global issue. But what business owners often identify as “a climate catastrophe”, does in fact have an impact much closer to home.
In this blog, we want to explore the connection between our natural world and the commercial one.
The cost is already high
A paper published in 2021 entitled “The biodiversity crisis is a business crisis” revealed this important statistic: “the decline in ecosystem functionality costs the global economy more than $5 trillion a year in the form of lost natural services”.
What’s driving the loss of biodiversity?
Change of land/sea use - conversion of habitat, overintensive use of ecosystems (from deforestation
Direct overexploitation - of animals, plants, and ecosystems in general (from poaching, unsustainable logging, and overfishing)
Climate change - shifts in global temperature, precipitation, and increased levels of greenhouse gases
Pollution of soil, water, and air - release of harmful substances into ecosystems, including light and noise pollution
Spread of invasive species - spread of non-native organisms in any given habitat
When we make a clear connection between the loss of biodiversity and the changing global economy, we can start to set clearer goals for social and corporate responsibility.
How are changes in biodiversity affecting your business now?
One thing is certain - all businesses depend on nature, even the smaller ones. When we look at the very wildest parts of our planet, we might struggle to understand the connection.
However, when you really stop to consider our reliance on raw materials, our dependence on water regulation, and the need for flood protection, it’s not hard to see how these wider issues start to hit your bottom line.
How?
Your supply chain.
Where we're getting things very wrong
Despite the very real dangers that a loss of biodiversity can pose to society in any given industry, most companies are doing little to acknowledge it, let alone overturning it. Fewer than 1 in 100 businesses mention it in their reports at all.
Business owners simply have little to no idea where their raw materials and products come from, leading to a lack of understanding of how each item has an impact on the environment from which it was taken or manufactured. The need for profit over provenance leaves organisations at risk of greenwashing (having the intention of protecting nature but only slightly reducing the impact)
The answer? Reconnect with our surroundings
Business owners, HR professionals, leaders, and stakeholders are all passionate about progress - and it’s time that we turn our attention back to the natural world that sustains us - as well as our enterprises.
What you do as an organisation can make a difference - you just need some inspiration. At our retreats, we spend time enjoying local produce, appreciating the natural flora and fauna that surrounds our basecamps, and working the land to renew our passion for protecting it.
Our invitation is to look beyond the ledger and discover new ways to connect with the land. Review your supply chain and really understand where your produce and products are coming from, how that’s impacting the environment, and how you can do things differently.
More importantly, reconnect with yourself. Spend more time walking, hiking, and enjoying the pause, reset, and rejuvenation that a simple enjoyment of our countryside and coastline can provide.
We can show you the way.
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