3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Evaluation of the biodiversity reporting in the South African fishing industry(2017) Usher, Kieran MichaelBiodiversity is a serious concern for companies using natural resources in their operations and should be examined closely in order to assess how these companies are reporting their biodiversity related impacts. This thesis evaluates the biodiversity disclosures reported by companies in the South African fishing industry. The integrated and sustainability reports of these companies were examined over a three year period for the quantity and quality of their biodiversity related disclosures. This involved the examination of the extent, location, and quality of such disclosures by South African fishing companies. The thesis finds that there is a distinct lack of biodiversity-related disclosures in the South African fishing industry. This thesis highlights the operation of organised hypocrisy in an industry which relies on the availability of natural resources and the state of biodiversity in order to continue its operations. It was found that a possible reason for limited biodiversity disclosures by South African fishing companies was to avoid public scrutiny of their biodiversity impact. The thesis contributes to the evaluation of a country, and more specifically an industry, that is heavily reliant on the state of biodiversity.Item Biodiversity management principles: a cross-sector comparison of South African companies(2017) Kristiansen, Guro HagenThe interaction between business and biodiversity has seen growing importance in corporate management; impacting policy, practices and strategy. This study examines South African companies’ assimilation of recommended biodiversity management practices, as communicated through their annual reporting and official websites. A selection of nine South African companies in the forestry, sugar and mining sectors were studied with regards to their reporting on biodiversity management practices. The research aimed to understand the extent of structured approach to biodiversity management, and explore potential sectorial differences. The study found a wide acceptance of the UN Global Compact Principles, the GRI reporting guidelines and the King Code of good governance principles. However, the companies did not demonstrate a consistent governance structure for biodiversity management. The study revealed one mining company with a stronger biodiversity governance structure making the use of various dedicated policies and standards. Furthermore, the study identified few sector specific differences. Though the forestry sector demonstrated good practice with its emphasis on biodiversity in its supply chain management. The study did not reveal a particular uptake of emerging biodiversity concepts such as No Net Loss, payment for ecosystem services or agroforestry, however the companies had adopted several sustainability and governance recommendations and standards. The study did not identify the existence, nor the use, of dedicated biodiversity certification programmes or South African developed cross-sector biodiversity certification programmes. The finance sector is in a good position to positively influence corporate biodiversity management practices. However, the study results give an impression that there is untapped potential in the finance sector to further drive the biodiversity management agenda in South Africa. Keywords: Corporate Biodiversity Management, Biodiversity Management Framework, Biodiversity Best Practices,