To comment, in particular, on one aspect:

With regard to: ‘While large com­pa­nies have the capac­ity to ded­i­cate per­son­nel to engage in this debate, most firms remain unclear about the “bot­tom­line” ben­e­fits for them of under­tak­ing their activ­i­ties in a way that would ben­e­fit bio­di­ver­sity and ecosys­tem ser­vices. This is all the more the case in the cur­rent dif­fi­cult eco­nomic cli­mate.’

Businesses, particularly those involved in developing building sites, whether for employment or housing sites, operate within a regulated environment controlled, in the UK and most other developed countries by both local and central government. However, there is now quite a long history, in the UK at least, of environmental concerns being taken into account by local government — in refusing permission for unacceptable development — only for this to be overturned, on appeal to planning inspectors who take their cue from central government. Currently that ‘cue’ is pointed very firmly in the direction of favouring growing GDP above all else. A matter of opinion, of course and others may disagree with that analysis and perception but my own experience, and that of others I know who have been directly involved in planning decisions and appeals tends to support that overall view.