Understanding to Act Better
We all want to act in favor of biodiversity: but why and how?
Biodiversity plays a crucial role in the functioning and maintenance of ecosystems. It provides us with numerous ecosystem services that contribute to our well-being. Among these services, we can mention photosynthesis, air and water purification, and the production of raw materials.
Nevertheless, the subject gets far less media coverage than climate change and is rarely a priority in corporate CSR strategies (Corporate Social Responsibility).
This can be largely explained by the fact that biodiversity is a complex subject, difficult to simplify, and with a wide range of varied issues.
Biodiversity issues
According to the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services), one million species are currently threatened with extinction, or one in eight species! (IPBES, 2019)
The international scientific community identifies five main causes for the erosion of biodiversity:
- Habitat loss is the greatest threat to biodiversity. The transformation of natural environments is driven by agriculture, urbanization, forestry, land-use changes, etc.
- Overexploitation of resources, including overfishing, unsustainable deforestation, and overgrazing, threatens many species. In 2023, Earth Overshoot Day (the day humanity consumes more resources than the planet can regenerate in a year) was reached on August 2nd!
- Climate change is the fourth threat to biodiversity. It alters reproduction cycles, disrupts migrations, modifies habitats, etc.
- Pollution in all its forms—water, soil, and air pollution, as well as light and noise pollution—can impact a wide variety of living beings.
- Invasive alien species represent the fifth pressure threatening biodiversity. These species, often intentionally or accidentally introduced by humans, such as Exotic crayfish, Japanese knotweed, and raccoons, spread rapidly in our regions.
What is the Biodiversity Collage?
The Collage is a participatory, creative, and educational workshop that helps raise awareness among your employees and helps them in better understanding biodiversity, the causes of its erosion, and the consequences for humanity.
Throughout the workshop, participants are guided by a facilitator from E-BIOM who leads the session and answers all questions.
The activity involves:
- 39 cards distributed into 5 sets: Participants, divided into teams of 5-8, link biodiversity, the causes of its erosion, and the consequences for humans. The cards are given in 5 sets, so participants gradually integrate the different concepts.
- Creativity: Participants arrange the 39 cards and the links between them to create an overall diagram. The creation of this artwork is a key step in the Collage process : it allows the appropriation and assimilation of the subject.
- Action pathways: The debrief led by the E-BIOM facilitator on the lessons learned aims to identify action pathways for your company. This work serves as the first step in developing your biodiversity strategy.
