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“Biodiversity GRI 304-103

In our work with The Nature Conservancy, we have defined nature as “the Earth’s collective inhabitants and nonliving environments interacting as functional ecosystems and providing services such as clean water, clean air and healthy soil.” To date, we have looked at biodiversity as being expressed through making positive contributions via projects that impact clean water, clean air and healthy soil, which, in turn, supports biodiversity. This work, as well as our efforts around our Valuing Nature 2025 Sustainability Goal and ecosystem services quantification, provide a solid foundation of methods, tools and a framework to build on. We have recognized the need to add biodiversity as an additional dimension to our sustainability journey, as we understand that protecting biological diversity is important for the survival of plant and animal species, genetic diversity and the natural ecosystems that provide clean water and air. Deterioration of biodiversity jeopardizes the provision of ecosystem services that our value chain depends on and adversely impacts sustainable development. This can translate into economic and social losses that endanger our own well-being.”