ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors demonstrate inextricable links between species, their interdependence within ecosystems, extinction and the business world. They focus on how accounting can be harnessed as an agent of transformation and change which, for their purposes, can be used to prevent extinction of species. The authors suggest that institutional investor engagement and engagement of business by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can prevent species extinction. By the beginning of the twenty-first century, empirical and theoretical analysis of social and environmental disclosures shifted from viewing them as separate parts of a corporation’s engagement with stakeholders to understanding how social and environmental issues were inter-connected, and affected a company’s long-term sustainability. Examples include social engagements, partnerships formed to manage biodiversity impact and specifics on biodiversity risk assessment. The authors hope that the approach to reporting and questioning can be of use to wildlife NGOs, such as the World Wide Fund, in developing their partnerships and engagement relationships with companies and other organizations.
