During the last few years we have all become more aware of the limitations of governments to deliver environmental protection and the role of private capital flows and foreign direct investments vis-à-vis the impacts of such development choices on our society.

Fiscal and regulatory systems in sectors such as agriculture, tourism, mining and energy, often generate perverse incentives, which undermine biological diversity. Sustainable resource management needs to be undertaken by governments in partnership with the private sector and NGOs.

There is vibrant and growing movement within the private sector to integrate sustainable development, including biodiversity management, into their corporate strategies and action plans. IUCN is working with business partners to develop such models for sustainable resource management.

About Achim Steiner
Mr Achim Steiner is the Director General of The World Conservation Union (IUCN). He has worked both at grassroot level and at the highest level of international policy-making to address the interface between environmental sustainability, social equity and economic development.

Mr Steiner, a German national, was born in Brazil, where he lived for ten years. His educational background includes a BA at the University of Oxford (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) and an MA at the University of London (Economics and Regional Planning).

He also studied at the German Development Institute in Berlin (Development Economics and Policy) as well as the Harvard Business School.