Naturalis Biodiversity Center and BNP Paribas signed a multi-year partnership for the protection and restoration of biodiversity. The urgency for action is great, particularly in the Netherlands, explains Edwin van Huis, Director of Naturalis Biodiversity Center: “The Netherlands stands out in terms of biodiversity loss. Within the European Union, only Belgium and Malta fare worse. The partnership with BNP Paribas allows us to make concrete impact on protecting biodiversity.”
Collaborationon many levels
The partnership brings together one of the world’s leading biodiversity knowledge centers with the European Union’s largest bank and a recognized leader in sustainable finance. Naturalis contributes deep scientific expertise while BNP Paribas brings access to a broad network of clients, partners and financial experts.
Financial innovationfor biodiversity recovery
The collaboration aims to contribute to the protection of the world's natural capital in the following four areas:
- Research & Data
- Education & Awareness
- Financial Innovation: accelerating the development of tools to direct more capital towards the
protection and restoration of biodiversity - Science-based metrics for decision-making in finance and business
Concrete stepsfor protection
Geert Lippens, CEO and Country Head of BNP Paribas the Netherlands: “Naturalis works towards biodiversity protection through monitoring and scientific research. BNP Paribas is committed to helping protect biodiversity across the world through the implementation of specific policies, participation in coalitions, and financing actions with a positive impact. By joining forces with
Naturalis, we have the opportunity to help our clients better understand and map their impacts and dependencies on nature – and thereby, lay the foundation for them to take concrete steps, like optimizing strategies or policies to protect and restore biodiversity.”
Building awarenessin the corporate world
Edwin van Huis, General Director of Naturalis Biodiversity Center, adds: “BNP Paribas has strong contacts in the business community – an important group that we need work with to turn the tide – and this partnership makes it possible to share our data with them. Building awareness in the corporate world is the first step toward addressing the related business risks and opportunities. Additionally, through our collaboration, we can learn from BNP Paribas' experiences with clients – what motivates or holds them back from accelerating biodiversity restoration. BNP Paribas also gives us access to information on risk management and biodiversity reporting through its active participation in the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures."
The valueof nature
During the official launch on December 15 at Naturalis, Koos Biesmeijer, Scientific Director, delivered a keynote speech not only outlining what biodiversity is and the current challenges it faces, but also emphasizing that biodiversity is essential for our life on this planet. It gives us food and drinking water; it protects our coast and pollinates our crops and so much more, with a total value that’s many times greater than all the economic activity that we create ourselves. Making nature our partner is the only option for a livable future, he emphasized. During the event, clients of BNP Paribas and Naturalis also engaged in discussions with leaders and biodiversity experts from Naturalis and BNP Paribas to discuss their challenges and ambitions in the field of biodiversity. These are the initial steps towards further shaping the partnership establishing concrete objectives within the targeted impact areas.
AboutBNP Paribas
BNP Paribas is the European Union’s leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 65 countries and has nearly 185,000 employees, including more than 145,000 in Europe. The Group is a key player in retail banking and financial services. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and lines of business in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific.
BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group's performance and stability. BNP Paribas is the largest European corporate bank in The Netherlands. Thanks to a worldwide network and the strong presence in the different financial markets, BNP Paribas offers international
expertise and services to the Dutch market. Our experts at BNP Paribas provide solutions in wealth & asset management, insurance, financing, leasing, real estate and mobility solutions, mainly business to business.
MoreInformation
Top photo from left to right: Geert Lippens, CEO & Country Head BNP Paribas The Netherlands, Edwin van Huis, Director General Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Naturalis), Eva van der Veer, Director of Collections Naturalis, Koos Biesmeijer, Scientific Director Naturalis, Antoine Sire, Global Head of Company Engagement BNP Paribas, Francine Hijmans, Head of Communication & Partnerships Naturalis, Dagmar van der Plas, Head of Company Engagement BNP Paribas The Netherlands, Bouchra Filali, Manager Partnerships Naturalis, Benoît Saint-Jevin, Sustainability Advocacy Europe BNP Paribas, Claudia Belli, Global Head of Financial Inclusion & Sustainability Advocacy.