Thursday, April 10th 2014 Online webinar 9:00am - 10:00am PDT/12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT/ 6:00pm - 7:00pm Paris- Brussels
The 21st century has seen the rise of a globally connected community and with it comes additional layers of what will need to be measured and managed for all companies to succeed. Business leaders will still focus on the basics of profit, revenue and market share, but also required is broader visibility into how natural capital assets are consumed in the supply chain to build brand and manage risk.
Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) is the process of placing a financial value on the natural capital (water, air, soil, forests, etc) consumed by a company’s business operations and considering natural resources as an essential business asset. By placing a dollar value on these assets, the cost of consuming natural resources and negative impacts can be better accounted for.
The future of the built environment and the economy depend on how we manage the diverse set of resources (natural capital) that make up all the goods and services we rely on. A large part of a company’s impact on natural capital occurs in the supply chain. Currently companies have varying degrees of visibility into their first tier suppliers but lack a comprehensive view of the natural capital assets supporting the possible tens of thousands of suppliers behind each component for every first tier supplier.
The purpose of valuing natural capital in the supply chain allows for a more whole-istic approach to make smarter, greener decisions, when it really matters. More importantly, beyond valuing natural capital, it is essential to develop tools and strategies to effectively manage the related risks and opportunities of consuming such resources throughout the value chain.
This discussion will provide an introduction to the concept of Natural Capital Accounting and address some of the following questions:
- Which natural capital assets does the business impact most?
- Where are these dependencies hidden within the supply chain?
- In which countries are these dependencies and degradation most likely taking place?
- What is the company’s strategy to mitigate impact and protect availability of these critical natural assets?
- What commodities will have greater price fluctuation?
- How do companies make informed decisions about which materials and suppliers to focus on first?
- Which materials offer the greatest potential return to the environment?