Biodiversity Explained: From Nature to Business Impact
PlanetAs shared in our previous posts, Nature is SHV’s central ESG theme for 2026 (Environment, Social, Governance). Following our focus on Climate Change, we are now moving to the next topic under this year’s Nature theme: Biodiversity. Let’s start by clarifying why biodiversity is important to SHV.
1. Nature Vs. Biodiversity: What’s the difference?
Nature refers to the natural world around us, including plants, animals, water, soil, air and ecosystems.
Biodiversity is the variety of life within nature, the different species of plants and animals, the ecosystems they form, and the genetic diversity within them.
Healthy biodiversity keeps ecosystems functioning. It supports essentials such as fertile soils, clean water, pollination and natural resilience, all of which underpin economic activity.
2. Biodiversity and Its Impact on SHV
Biodiversity is not only a Nature topic, it is also a business topic.
Across SHV and its Groups, our activities interact with nature directly or through supply chains. This means that:
- Our businesses depend on healthy ecosystems (e.g. water availability, land quality, stable natural systems), and
- Our operations can also impact biodiversity, positively or negatively.
When biodiversity declines, it can translate into real business risks over time. Such as supply disruptions, increased costs, regulatory pressure, or reduced resilience. At the same time, protecting and restoring biodiversity can strengthen long-term value creation and business continuity. That is why biodiversity is becoming an increasingly important focus within SHV’s ESG approach under the Nature theme alongside Climate Change.
