Exploring the interactions between economic activities, biodiversity and ecosystem services: methods and applications

This doctoral thesis investigates the relationships between economic activities, biodiversity and ecosystem services through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates conceptual analysis, empirical research and methodological development. Recognising that businesses both impact and depend on ecosystems, the study develops frameworks and tools to assess these interactions and support the integration of biodiversity considerations into corporate and policy decision-making. The research combines multiple methods, including the development of a conceptual framework on business–biodiversity relationships, empirical evidence collected through a White Book of organisational practices, and the design and testing of corporate assessment tools for measuring impacts and dependencies on biodiversity. Additional contributions include the economic valuation of ecosystem services in waste management systems and geospatial analyses of land-use change linked to both corporate activities and public policies. Overall, the thesis advances practical methodologies and applied evidence to support more transparent, data-driven and sustainability-oriented strategies, contributing to the mainstreaming of biodiversity into economic analysis, business practices and policy evaluation.