UEBT brings together a range of stakeholders (companies, NGOs, governments) to promote sourcing with respect for people and biodiversity. We pursue collaboration as a critical way to transform practices in the cosmetics, food and pharmaceutical sectors. UEBT uses different strategies: it collaborates with its members, establishes private sector working groups, and works with civil society partners.

All partnerships are guided by the UEBT standard, which sets good practices for how companies and their suppliers source ingredients from biodiversity.

Working groups

UEBT is involved in various initiatives that bring together local and international stakeholders to improve sourcing practices. These initiatives operate on a pre-competitive basis that goes beyond any individual supply chain to build on collaboration on landscape level issues such as local working conditions and ecosystem conservation. Initiatives usually focus on specific ingredients in the cosmetics and/or pharmaceutical sectors.

Initiative for Responsible Carnauba

The Initiative for Responsible Carnauba is supporting suppliers to improve conditions in the Carnauba wax sourcing areas, as well as finding new approaches to the social and environmental challenges in the associated industry. Ultimately, our aim is to foster a responsible Carnauba wax production that respects demands of people and helps to regenerate biodiversity in the Carnauba wax producing areas in the unique semiarid (Caatinga) biome of northeast Brazil.

The Initiative includes public and private organizations, including companies, non-profit and governmental agencies from Germany, Brazil, the Netherlands, Switzerland and other countries working together. This effort complements already existing efforts by others, including the Brazilian Government (Environment Ministry, Labour Ministry and others), the Working Group on Carnauba by inPACTO, and the Sustainable Carnauba project by the Brazilian wax industry and the Associação Caatinga. 

Partnerships with civil society

To build a broad-based movement of ethical sourcing of biodiversity, UEBT partners with other organisations. We also engage with organisations that support local communities and community based enterprises to make a living from the sustainable use of biodiversity. Prominent partnerships include:

• Working with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the Convention on Biological Diversity (UN Biodiversity) to broker and strengthen their relationships with the private sector.

• Partnering with the ABS Capacity Development Initiative to ensure that companies harvesting from biodiversity respect the original users of the land and that benefits are shared with them.

See all UEBT partners.