there for climate.

There for Nature - The direct relationship between business and nature

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Project SummaryWith this project, the HWZ team wants to develop a guide for companies on how to deal with nature in order to meet ecological challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. Changes in the human-nature relationship are needed, and companies in particular play an important role in this. Support positive change now!

Background

How can the relationship between business and nature be improved?

Climate change and biodiversity loss threaten not only nature, but also our well-being. To address these challenges, stakeholders such as animal welfare organizations have been the main advocates for nature's well-being in the corporate context. Although they have expert knowledge of the nature actors involved, they often have limited knowledge of the respective corporate contexts. There has been too little research on how to improve the relationship between corporations and parts of nature, such as forests, animals, and rivers.

By understanding direct organization-nature relationship patterns, corporate actions can be better aligned with intact ecosystems.

Idea

What can companies learn from nature-loving people in a corporate context in order to shape their relationship with nature in a positive way?

We at the Institute for Strategic Management: Stakeholder View of the HWZ University of Applied Sciences Zurich would like to develop concrete approaches in a research project in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Judith Walls of the University of St. Gallen on how companies can directly shape their relationship with nature. To this end, we are looking at the various actors in nature as stakeholders of companies. In doing so, we explore how the direct relationship with these actors can be positively shaped from the perspective of companies from different industries. Such natural stakeholders are important when they are at the center of corporate activity, such as animals or in the food industry. A positive relationship is characterized by innovative solutions that are in line with nature and strengthen the company's success. An example of this is healthy meat substitutes that taste good and are produced ecologically. For this, the company itself must have the necessary knowledge and experience to understand well the relevant actors of nature and to have a healthy relationship with them.

The product of our project is a guide translated in several languages for the company in direct relationship with nature. On the one hand, the guide is based on the sustainability knowledge of indigenous peoples who place the well-being of nature at the center of their economic and social ecosystem. At the same time, experience from the European corporate context, with a strong relationship to nature, also flows into the project. The guide is intended to be applicable in different contexts, and especially in the contexts being researched.

This guide will be accessible on a platform in order to achieve the greatest possible participation and impact of the project. The users of the platform will be able to use the guide and contribute to its continuous development by paying a one-time membership fee. The proceeds of the membership fee will be donated entirely to indigenous peoples' projects that contribute to the guide. In this way, your donation not only supports more sustainable business in Switzerland and other contexts, but also indirectly supports projects of the guardians of nature such as indigenous peoples of norther Colombia.

Implementation

How do we develop a scientifically based guideline for a positive relationship between companies and nature?

The first step is to focus on the exchange with people who have a strong relationship with nature in their entrepreneurial activities. In particular, people from areas with a strong connection to nature, such as the mountain farmers in Switzerland or the Kogi in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia, will be considered. In a second step, these findings will be deepened in interviews with representatives of companies from different sectors whose business has a strong impact on specific actors of nature such as animals, forests or rivers. In a third phase, a guideline for direct positive corporate action with nature actors will be developed on this basis.

The guide will lead companies through steps that include different forms of direct interaction between companies and nature in order to create positive value for both. Based on this, companies should work out new opportunities for the development of innovative and sustainable products or services that are in harmony with nature.

Sustainability criteria are applied in the field research and, for example, the use of local structures is utilised, the ecological footprint is minimised and any CO2 produced is offset. In addition, we focus on ensuring respect for and appreciation of the respective (indigenous) cultures and individuals in the project and the guide. Therefore, the guide should also be applicable in all researched contexts.

With your donation you support part of the expenses incurred for the research for the purpose of producing the guide: Phase I (preparation, implementation and evaluation of the interviews "Business with strong ties to nature", CHF 29'660), Phase II (preparation, implementation and evaluation of the interviews/workshops "Consideration of the results in different industry settings", CHF 10'760) and Phase III (creation of the guide and design of the platform, CHF 15'500) (excl. 10% administration costs of there-for-you). Indirectly, you support projects of indigenous peoples for the preservation of an intact ecosystem through your donation, which is used for the production of the guide.

Every donation helps to promote corporate sustainability in the ecological dimension, so that economic and social value can be created and the deterioration of the health of our planet can be counteracted. Thank you for your donation!

Initiators

Silvan Oberholzer and Sybille Sachs, Institut for Strategic Management: Stakeholder View, HWZ University of Applied Sciences Zurich

The project follows the principles of scientific integrity and thus the highest research standards. In doing so, the project builds on the decades of research experience of the Institute for Strategic Management: Stakeholder View HWZ, which has resulted in internationally renowned publications.

Initial findings from field research in Switzerland and Colombia

10/12/2023

In summer 2023, we conducted interviews on Swiss Alps and in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia and gained first insights for our project "There for Nature".

As part of the "There for Nature" project, Silvan Oberholzer conducted several interviews on alps in Central Switzerland between June and July 2023. In exchanges with people who work in the alpine economy (alpine cheesemakers, alpine farmers, restaurateurs), he not only gained an insight into life during the "alpine summer", but also into the relationship between man and nature in the context of the business. 🏔🥾🔎
The conversations revolved around the relationship of companies with parts of nature that are relevant to them. From these strongly marked relationships in the context of the alpine economy, we gained, among other things, the following initial insights: 💡

The inclusion of the needs and interests of parts of nature in business activities makes it possible to achieve a better balance between profit and the well-being of nature. The conscious perception of signals from nature and doing business in the rhythm of nature promote this balance. 💰⚖️🌿
Prudent management of parts of nature requires planning. At the same time, flexibility shapes the human-nature relationship in many nature-related business contexts. Acting with foresight and identifying particularly relevant parts of nature can mitigate certain risks to business operations. 📉
Instead of competition, partnerships based on trust allow for careful management of parts of nature. For example, through the joint use of land, not only the yield but also the ecological balance can be optimised if the business partners take sufficient account of nature in their activities. 🤝🌱

Between August and September 2023, Silvan Oberholzer was then on the road for "There for Nature" in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (the "heart of the world") in Colombia. This is because the aim of the project is to make other knowledge heard that is often neglected, in addition to the knowledge that is widespread in the European context. In particular, the knowledge of indigenous peoples, which has been passed down over thousands of years, teaches us a lot about how to deal with parts of nature. This knowledge is central to sustainability transformation, which is different in different contexts. This also applies to the human-nature relationship in the corporate context and the associated perception of parts of nature as stakeholders. 🔎🌿

From the discussions with representatives of indigenous businesses in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (coffee and cocoa producers, tourism agents), we have gained the following initial insights, among others: 💡

Thinking in terms of relationships rather than entities can help to better understand the complexity of the impact of corporate activities on nature. In the network of relationships between human and non-human parts of nature, we humans, and therefore companies, have a role to play in looking after the health of this network of relationships. 🌿🕸🤝
Awareness of the positive as well as negative effects of one's own activities on the environment is central to sustainable business. Spirituality can also play a central role in the corporate context. This can create spaces for reflection that promote active engagement with the awareness of the consequences of one's own actions. 💭
Communication with parts of nature is far more complex than the verbal communication we are used to. A better understanding of this communication helps to take into account the needs of parts of nature in the corporate context in order to create shared value for the company and nature. 📢

The project "There for Nature" aims to explore direct organisation-nature relationship patterns to make corporate action more sustainable. More insights into the project will follow! 🌱

Konge Connect GmbH	50,00 CHF
Anonymous	100,00 CHF
Vermittelt durch Swisscom	480,00 CHF
Adolf Greuter	175,00 CHF
Anonymous	10,00 CHF
Alain Küng	340,00 CHF
Anonymous	225,00 CHF
Anonymous	3,00 CHF
Anonymous	50,00 CHF

Currently, there are still no project partners if you are interested, please contact us via info@there-for-you.com.

Status of the project

1'433,00 CHF

1'400,00 CHF

We will send the donation receipt (for Switzerland) in January of the following year.

Major donor

Project supported by Swisscom

Impact analysis by there for you specialists

The basis of human life is nature, but this is subject to many pressures, including climate change, biodiversity loss and resource extraction. Human interaction with nature must change if the various ecosystems, and thus our livelihood, are to have a future. Companies in particular can have a major influence on the further development of the human-nature relationship. The HWZ project combines knowledge and practices from indigenous and European business contexts and helps companies to develop a more sustainable approach to nature. In addition, indigenous structures are supported. An effective, holistic approach.