In light of countries’ efforts to handle the Covid-19 crisis and overcoming its economic impacts, more than ever, there is a need and an opportunity for businesses to reconsider their relationship with nature and people. Embarking on a green recovery is the way for businesses to rebuild resilience and to thrive on the long term. Boosting our resilience and preventing the emergence and spread of future outbreaks can only be achieved by protecting and restoring biodiversity and natural ecosystems, as emphasised in the EU Recovery Plan and the recently adopted EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

Following a successful conference held in Madrid in 2019, the European Business and Nature Summit (EBNS) will reconvene in Brussels on 8 and 9 December 2020 to strengthen the growing movement of companies across Europe and beyond that are putting nature and people at the centre of their recovery strategies and plans. Participating businesses and financial institutions will share peer to peers how to practically integrate biodiversity and natural capital within their business models, how to measure and reduce their impact on nature and to make nature part of the solution to solve current challenges. In this context, a particular emphasis will be put on the role that SMEs can play and the tools that are already available to help them in this journey and prepare them for the future.

The European Business and Nature Summit (EBNS) is an initiative of the EU B@B Platform of the European Commission, with the Belgian and Flemish government, The Shift, and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) to strengthen the growing movement of businesses that consider nature part of the solutions to economic wellbeing.

The EBNS will provide:

• A place to showcase businesses that understand the critical value of nature for their business and are taking action to develop and adapt business models that contribute to rebuilding ecosystem health;
• An opportunity to learn the latest advances in accounting for impacts and dependencies on nature that enable business to increase their resilience towards future shocks; and
• An opportunity to engage a wide European audience in addressing biodiversity loss.

The EBNS is organised for SMEs, large corporates and financial institutions with a long-term mindset, including those that are less familiar with the issue of biodiversity. The summit will also bring together state representatives, local and regional public authorities, civil society representatives and academics. The EBNS seeks to attract around 300-400 participants.