摘譯自2008年3月31日ENS瑞士，格蘭報導；謝芳怡編譯；蔡麗伶審校
由全球最具規模的保育組織和石化公司合作的研究報告發現，當全球開始警覺到生物多樣性流失加速的同時，企業界已開始將「生物多樣性保育」視為具獲利潛力的事業。
世界自然保育聯盟(IUCN)與殼牌石油公司在27日所發表的報告中，積極呼籲各國進行政策改革，增加多樣性保育的商業獎勵。
「生物探勘」(bioprospecting)是生物多樣性相關產業中快速成長的一項，主要內容是在未開發地區尋找新的化合物、基因和有機體，報告中預估到了2050年其產值約可達5億美元。
另一份「打造生物多樣性商機」的報告中則提到，過去是導致生物多樣性流失的產業，現在已透過保護生物多樣性，而位居領先地位。舉例來說，有機農業和永續性木建材的市場正以二位數的速度飛快成長。
報告中同時發現，對於減緩氣候變遷的服務需求也是與日俱增，例如對可吸收二氧化碳的森林溼地進行保育。生態旅遊更是透過照料野生物種及棲地而獲利的明顯實例。相較與整體觀光業9%的成長率，全球強調對環境友善的觀光業，每年更以20%~30%的速度成長。
但生態旅遊評論家也警告，大量人潮侵入野生棲地，將可能對野生動物的生殖力和存活率帶來不利的影響。
報告中指出，目前所有生物多樣性產業所面臨的主要問題，就是缺乏公認性的指標來評估多樣性保育行為的利弊。越來越多企業看到將經營營運與生物多樣性相互整合的好處，並尋求以市場為基礎的解決方案和機會。
世界自然保育聯盟每年持續更新「瀕危物種紅皮書」，並透環境議題上的外交關係，支持科學研究和棲地管理計劃，來協助全世界找到環境與發展問題的解決之道。這項工作包含了存在地球上的所有類型動植物和生態系統，例如各種地球上的自然環境，或是廣泛的重大環境永續發展議題。
Making Biodiversity Conservation Pay Off
GLAND, Switzerland, March 31, 2008 (ENS)
As the world wakes up to the accelerating loss of biological diversity, businesses are increasingly viewing biodiversity conservation as a potential profit center, says a new collaborative report from one of the world's largest conservation organizations and one of the world's largest international oil, gas and chemicals companies.
Issued Thursday, the report from the IUCN-International Union for Conservation of Nature and Shell International Ltd. calls for policy reforms to increase the commercial rewards for conserving biodiversity.
One biodiversity business that is growing quickly is bioprospecting, the search for new compounds, genes and organisms in the wild. The report suggests the sector could be worth as much as US$500 million by 2050.
Titled "Building Biodiversity Business," the report says some businesses that were historically responsible for the loss of biodiversity now are starting to lead the way by protecting biodiversity.
For instance, markets for organic agriculture and sustainably-harvested timber are growing at double-digit rates.
And there is an increasing demand for climate mitigation services, such as the protection of forests and wetlands to absorb carbon dioxide, the report finds.
Ecotourism is one obvious example of how money can be made from looking after species and their habitats. Worldwide, environmentally-friendly tourism is expanding at a rate of 20 to 30 percent annually, compared with a nine percent expansion rate for tourism as a whole.
Critics of ecotourism warn that the intrusion of large numbers of people into wild habitats can adversely influence the reproductive success and survival of the affected wildlife.
A key challenge facing all biodiversity businesses is the lack of accepted indicators to measure positive and negative contributions to biodiversity conservation, the report finds.
An increasing number of companies see a business advantage in developing processes to integrate biodiversity into their operations, as well as seeking market-based solutions and opportunities.
The organization maintains the Red List of Threatened Species and helps the world find pragmatic solutions to environment and development challenges by conducting environmental diplomatic relations, supporting scientific research; and managing field projects all over the world.
This work encompasses all types of animal and plant species on the planet; all types of ecosystems - the different types of natural places that exist on Earth; and a wide range of major environmental and sustainable development issues.
全文及圖片詳見：ENS
