Overview
At Ribbon, we recognize the critical importance of biodiversity in sustaining ecosystems worldwide. We also acknowledge that climate change poses challenges for all life on Earth, not just human life.
We understand the interconnectedness of human health and biodiversity, including the daily public health benefits derived from the fresh air we breathe and the natural spaces we use for recreation and exercise, which help reduce the occurrence of human diseases. Our food sources come from agriculture and farming of both land and sea. Often, these ecosystems require assistance to mitigate the effects of climate change, such as soil erosion, adverse weather, flooding, and droughts.
Our locations around the world are each part of a delicate balance between local communities and wildlife ecosystems. Ribbon's activities, along with those of our partners, can have both positive and negative effects on these communities. We are committed to minimizing our impact on biodiversity through the measures outlined in our Biodiversity Policy, with a priority on protecting existing ecosystems.
Our Approach
When looking for a new facility, we thoroughly research each proposed location to better understand the area and any regional biodiversity and environmental considerations. Ribbon maintains a Biodiversity Risk Assessment for all our major facilities around the world. Our education platform enables our workforce to receive training in subjects related to environmental management and biodiversity protection, including a mandatory Essential Training refresher course issued every two years.
Where possible, we aim to promote the health of insects and invertebrates through our gardening practices and we consider installing and managing beehives to pollinate the local flora. We monitor water use and look to identify water stress areas using the World Resource Institute Tools (WRI) ahead of time so resilience can be established at these locations including retrofitting water efficient plumbing systems.
Ribbon includes reviews of relevant laws and regulations in our certified ISO14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) and looks to exceed these requirements related to biodiversity conservation and the restoration of degraded ecological systems. This is reflected in Ribbon’s published Biodiversity Policy. We have processes in place to validate the adherence of local regulations and supplier certifications with the right to audit our suppliers.
Our responsible procurement training aims to promote sensible purchasing choices which focus on sourcing suppliers who adhere to sustainable practices while meeting human needs. In addition, we look to reduce waste and overconsumption by switching to compostable packaging, removing single-use plastics and increasing the recycled content of the packaging of our products.
Resources
While we maintain internal processes to assess biodiversity risks, we recognize that we are not biodiversity experts. To strengthen our approach, we engage with established external tools, datasets and expert frameworks to inform our decision-making. Where appropriate, we also consult with subject matter experts to support more detailed assessments.
We utilize a range of globally recognized resources to identify, evaluate and compare biodiversity risks across both our existing operations and potential new locations. These resources include:
| Resources | In Action at Ribbon / How Ribbon Uses |
|---|---|
| WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter riskfilter.org | Supports research on site-level biodiversity risks for all Ribbon facilities |
| Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) ibat-alliance.org | Biodiversity data is compared to the geographic location of Ribbon facilities |
| ENCORE (Exploring Natural Capital Opportunities, Risks and Exposure) encorenature.org | Informs relocation decisions, helping to avoid or minimize impacts on sensitive ecosystems |
| World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Risks Reports weforum.org | Serves as resource for annual internal risk reviews, offering insight into emerging global risks |
| Credendo Risk Tools credendo.com | Guides decisions related to domestic and international trade transactions or investments abroad |
| World Bank Data and Tools data.worldbank.org | Supports research into various types of data pertinent to Ribbon facilities |
| U.S. Drought Monitor & WRI Water Risk Tools droughtmonitor.unl.edu wri.org | Enables identification of locations experiencing water stress or drought conditions as part of annual internal risk reviews |
| FEMA National Risk Index fema.gov | Provides insight into current natural hazards affecting facilities within the U.S. |
By combining our internal processes with external expertise and data-driven tools, we aim to ensure a consistent, informed and responsible approach to biodiversity risk management across our global operations.
Governance
Executive direction of Ribbon’s Approach to Biodiversity is led by Ribbon’s Chief Legal Officer (CLO). The CLO is supported by senior management in specific business unit functions such as procurement, supply chain management, real estate and facilities. Ribbon’s Board of Directors receive annual updates relating to environmental management and biodiversity performance as part of our risk review process.
See also:
- Ribbon’s Environmental Policy
- Ribbon’s Biodiversity Policy
- Ribbon’s Approach to Climate Change and the Environment
- Ribbon’s Policy on Conflict Minerals
- Our Supply Chain Position
Supporting Global Sustainable Development
Our approach to climate change and the environment directly supports UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6, 12, 14 and 15:
 | 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity |
 | 12.2: By 2030, achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse |
 | 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution |
 | 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species |
Disclosure
We report transparently to our stakeholders on progress and performance related to biodiversity efforts in our annual Sustainability Report, available our website, including our GRI and TCFD aligned disclosures.
Version 1.3: August 2026
