Contributions of the Corporate Sector to Sustainable Development

Abstract

Biological diversity, defined as the variety and variability within species, between species and ecosystems, is crucial to poverty alleviation and sustainable development. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) recognises that biological diversity is about more than plants, animals and microorganisms and their ecosystems - it is about people and our need for food security, medicines, fresh air and water, shelter and a clean and healthy environment in which to live. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is viewed as an umbrella concept, which includes corporate citizenship, corporate sustainability, stakeholder management, environmental management, business ethics and corporate social performance. The chapter deals with case studies of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) in different aspects from research to commercialisation and the contributions of corporate sector to biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and fair and equitable sharing of benefits. The contributions of corporate sector in India for promoting sustainable development and livelihood are presented.