PhD research at Oxford Biology Department by Daria Kuznetsova

Biodiversity risks in the supply chains: mitigation approaches and biodiversity outcomes

FIND OUT MORE
About the research
This is an interdisciplinary research on the interface of corporate management and biodiversity conservation. It will explore both biodiversity impacts and dependencies risks in the corporate supply chains and approaches that businesses use to mitigate those risks .

The research aims to answer the following under-researched questions:

  1. How are companies responding to biodiversity impacts and dependencies risks in their supply chains?
  2. What are the most effective supply chain management approaches and initiatives and what are their biodiversity outcomes?
  3. How can we measure biodiversity outcomes of supply chains interventions?

Pictures downloaded from https://www.freepik.com/

With the Kunming-Montreal biodiversity framework in place, we need to accelerate our efforts for reaching nature-positive future. As most biodiversity impacts and dependencies appear in the supply chains, improving our understanding of corporate supply chain initiatives is essential to boost biodiversity performance.

The ultimate goal of the research is to develop practical guidance for corporations for science-backed solutions to make supply chains more nature-friendly.
More information and data
click on the subheading below to learn more


We are in the middle of sixth mass extinction

Biodiversity worldwide is vanishing – in the last 50 years global wildlife populations declined on average by 69% (Figure 1).

The major direct driver of biodiversity loss is land use change, rooted in financial, economic and social systems that do not prioritize nature and its services.
Biodiversity loss is a threat to global wellbeing

Biodiversity decline leads to the loss of vital ecosystem goods and services, such as crops pollination, water purification, CO2 sequestration and others.

Disruption of these and other ecosystem goods and services has implications for economic and financial stability. Bodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse have been repeatedly recognized by the World Economic Forum amongst the most severe global risks that humanity might face in the ten year horizon.
Sustainable supply chain management is important, but remains an issue for corporations

  • Most of the biodiversity impacts caused by business, and dependencies from nature are hidden in the supply chains.
  • Despite common understanding that biodiversity risks need to be tackled through supply chains interventions, sustainable supply chain management remains an issue due to its complexity and lack of traceability.

Existing biodiversity supply chain interventions are not sufficient and poorly understood

  • Companies are implementing supply chain practices, such as supplier codes of conduct with biodiversity requirements or certification of supplies, but most of these practices focus on harm reduction, and rarely – on enhancing biodiversity.
  • Biodiversity outcomes of supply chain practices remain unknown. Supply chain management for mitigating biodiversity risks is poorly understood, while improving understanding has great potential for positive change.
Destroying natural capital means putting business capital at risk

  • According to the report by the World Economic Forum, disruption of ecosystem goods and services may impair economic and financial stability, as more than half of the world GDP is moderately or highly dependent on nature and its services. Dependancy on nature varies between different industries and sectors (see Figure 2).

  • The research by Oxford University shows that the cost of biodiversity loss and ecosystem damage for the global economy could exceed $5 trillion.
The growing stakeholder awareness on nature loss is putting pressure on corporations

  • Investor concern on nature and biodiversity risks is increasing. Finance for biodiversity pledge connects 170 financial institutions representing over 22 trillion euro in assets committed to protecting nature through their investments.
  • Target 15 of the Global biodiversity framework is aimed at encouraging corporations and financial institutions to monitor, assess, and disclose their risks, dependencies and impacts on nature. The recent launch of TNFD is expected to galvanize reporting on nature-related risks
Download research proposal

Supervision

The research will take place at Oxford Biology Department in collaboration with Oxford Nature Positive Hub – a think tank aimed at supporting Nature Positive transformation across society.

The research will be supervised by the two world class biodiversity scientists – Professor EJ Milner-Gulland and Dr. Joseph Bull. Professor Milner-Gulland and Dr. Bull are championing research on Nature positive agenda at Oxford University. Their recent work includes calculating biodiversity footprint of Oxford University, launching the 'Four Steps for the Earth' framework for tackling global biodiversity loss, and proposing guidance for operationalizing nature positive transformation for business.
  • Professor Dame EJ Milner-Gulland
    Tasso Leventis Professor of Biodiversity in the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford
  • Dr. Joseph Bull
    Associate Professor in Climate Change Biology in the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford
Download reference letter

My expertise

I am well-equipped for conducting the research on the business-biodiversity interface.
My relevant experience includes
  • Over 7 years in ESG and sustainability field.
    Throughout these years I’ve worked with international NGO, academia and business.
  • Experience in sustainable supply chain management and corporate biodiversity conservation.
    I co-authored biodiversity action plan for a global oil and gas industry leader and crafted sustainable supply chain internal policy and documentation for an ITC company.
  • Strong academic skills.
    I hold an MSc in conservation from UCL and co-authored 4 papers for peer-reviewed journals. I also was privileged to contribute to the IPBES Regional Assessment Report for Europe and Central Asia.
Download my CV
Feedback
  • Dr. Joseph Bull,
    Associate Professor, University of Oxford
    https://www.biology.ox.ac.uk/people/joseph-bull
    Daria is proactive, effective, and clearly highly motivated. Her ideas are excellent, and the
    research projects she has proposed are well thought through and robust; she has all the making
    of an excellent independent researcher. Daria clearly has a wealth of varied experience as both
    a business ESG consultant and in academia, and it shows. Furthermore, she has been a
    pleasure to engage with through the Oxford application process.
  • Kseniya Lopatkina,
    Head of Sustainability & ESG, Sustainability in Practice
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/kseniya-lopatkina-24458150/
    As the Head of Sustainability & ESG I have had supervised Daria's work for over two years. Daria specializes in advising clients on sustainability issues with focus on managing environmental impact and integrating best circular economy practices into corporate agendas.

    Daria consistently demonstrates outstanding research and analytical skills across all her projects. She exhibits a thorough understanding of cutting-edge concepts, standards, and international best practices, tailoring them to meet our clients' needs, budgets, and circumstances.

    It is always a professional and personal pleasure to work with Daria!
  • Ksenia Kosogorova,
    ex-MTS ESG Center lead
    Daria worked as the lead consultant on our sustainable electronics project, where she played an important role in addressing our company's focus on e-waste management.

    I would especially note Daria’s proactive approach, as she identified potential obstacles early on and swiftly suggested solutions. This approach contributed to thorough project development and reduced time for implementing solutions into the business process. Throughout the project, Daria demonstrated a keen responsiveness to feedback, refining project deliverables to align with diverse stakeholder interests.

    Daria's work ethic, cutting-edge expertise, and collaborative approach make her a great choice for any sustainability project, and I confidently recommend her as a reliable partner.
  • Prof. Dr. Konstantin Gongalsky,
    Deputy head of Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution
    https://scholar.google.ru/citations?user=xE3cbskAAAAJ&hl=ru
    Daria Kuznetsova was a valuable member of our team during a project for an oil and gas company. Her primary role involved authoring chapters for the corporate biodiversity action plan, integrating scientific and management elements. Additionally, she offered advice on incorporating sectoral best practices for effective biodiversity management.

    Working with Daria was enjoyable because of her accurate timing, effective task execution, and careful material analysis. She is a fantastic team player, and I wish her luck on any upcoming endeavors.

My offer

I invite businesses and organizations to collaborate with me for the business-biodiversity research.
Below are a few examples of research focus that we can explore together
Supply chain management analysis
Examination of your organization's supply chain management in respect to biodiversity considerations to identify areas of optimization.
Supply chains initiatives impact assessment
Evaluation of the effectiveness of your organization's biodiversity supply chain initiatives, aiming to quantify their positive impact.
Biodiversity footprint assessment
Analysis of your organization's environmental footprint, specifically focusing on biodiversity.
Benchmarking of risk management strategies
Comparative analysis of existing biodiversity risk management strategies within your industry, providing insights for strategic decision-making.
I am open to discuss your specific research needs and objectives. I am eager to explore ambitious topics that push the boundaries of existing knowledge and challenge conventional business practices.

Get in touch to discuss potential collaboration. Contact me via contacts section or simply book a call using a button below.
Let us embark on this journey together!
Book a call

Contacts

To contact me, use a convenient method