Support a PhD research at Oxford Biology Department
Biodiversity risks in the supply chains: mitigation approaches and biodiversity outcomes
My offer
Hi, my name is Daria, and I invite businesses and organizations to support my research and benefit from it.
Together, we can identify your organization's knowledge gaps in biodiversity management. I will incorporate your specific research needs and objectives into my PhD plan and provide you with analyses and science-backed solutions to enhance your company's management of nature-related risks.
At Oxford, I will have access to cutting-edge academic resources and the support of world-class biodiversity scientists specializing in corporate biodiversity management. You can be assured of receiving deliverables of the highest quality. Learn more about research supervision.
Below are a few examples of research focuses that we can explore together:
Supply chain management analysis
Examination of your organization's supply chain management in respect to biodiversity considerations
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.
Your benefits
The global corporate compliance landscape is changing rapidly, with nature and biodiversity topics at the forefront of the ESG agenda.
As new data on the global economy's impacts and dependencies on nature emerges, biodiversity risks are increasingly recognized as material for businesses. This shift has led to growing stakeholder concerns regarding nature and biodiversity, new legal requirements, and heightened investor scrutiny.
Analyzing your company's and your suppliers' impacts and dependencies on nature can yield the following business benefits:
- Manage legal risksTwo upcoming EU laws will require companies to conduct extensive nature risk due diligence on their supply chains. The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will take effect on December 30, 2024, while the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) will apply to the first cohort of EU companies starting in July 2027.
Similarly, the UK’s Environment Act 2021 mandates companies to assess and mitigate environmental risks, including biodiversity loss, with additional legislation addressing nature risks in supply chains expected soon. - Prepare for enhanced biodiversity reportingThe Global Biodiversity Framework's Target 15 requires corporations and financial institutions to monitor, assess, and disclose their risks, dependencies, and impacts on nature.
The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in the European Union mandates large companies to report on their environmental impacts, including biodiversity.
The major nature reporting framework, the TNFD Recommendations, includes disclosures on nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities, as well as processes for identifying, assessing, and prioritizing these factors in an organization's value chains. By August 2024, over 400 companies worldwide have committed to start making disclosures aligned with the TNFD Recommendations. - Build a compelling ESG caseCollaborating with a leading university like Oxford on biodiversity research can significantly boost your company's image as a socially responsible brand, building trust among various stakeholder groups. The methods used and deliverables provided as a result of this research partnership can be presented as best practices in corporate nature management. Improved understanding of your supply chain can protect against reputational damage from negative environmental impacts.
- Attract investmentInvestors are becoming more aware of the financial risks associated with biodiversity loss, such as supply chain disruptions and regulatory penalties. Companies that actively manage their biodiversity impacts can mitigate these risks, making them more appealing to investors.
Finance for biodiversity pledge connects 170 financial institutions representing over 22 trillion euro in assets committed to protecting nature through their investments. Companies that can demonstrate their contributions to biodiversity will have competitive advantage to secure this funding.
Research rationale
Click on the subheadings 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.
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
Existing biodiversity supply chain interventions are not sufficient and poorly understood
- 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
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.
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-GullandTasso Leventis Professor of Biodiversity in the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford
- Dr. Joseph BullAssociate Professor in Climate Change Biology in the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford
My expertise
I am well-equipped for conducting the research on the business-biodiversity interface.
My relevant experience includes
My relevant experience includes
- Over 7 years in ESG and sustainability field.Throughout these years I’ve recieved diverse experience working 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.
Feedback
- Dr. Joseph Bull,Associate Professor, University of Oxford
https://www.biology.ox.ac.uk/people/joseph-bullDaria 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 leadDaria 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=ruDaria 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.
Get in touch to discuss potential collaboration. Contact me via contacts section or simply book a call using a button below.
Contacts
To contact me, use a convenient method