Margaret Adey, University of Cambridge Programme for
Sustainability Leadership At Rio+20, leaders of 15 global
companies, with a collective turnover of over $350 billion, have
called for urgent action to properly value and maintain the
Earth’s natural capital. The theme of natural capital has
featured strongly in business discussions at Rio. Natural
capital has been defined as including diversity of life, or
biodiversity, underpinning the resilience of the Earth's natural
systems to absorb shocks and disturbances. It also includes
vital ecosystem services under threat – ranging from crop
pollination to carbon storage and freshwater provision, and from
fisheries to wood production and the renewal of soil fertility –
upon which society and all economic activity relies. CEOs and
Board members of leading companies, which include Anglo
American, Alstom, Arup, ASDA-Walmart, Aviva Investors, Grupo
André Maggi, Kingfisher, Mars, Natura, Nestlé, Puma, SABMiller,
Unilever, Volac and Votorantim, have signed up to the Na