Biodiversity and your business

Many businesses already give lots of time and money to projects that help the environment, but there is still massive scope to do more, whether you work for a small family owned business or a large global conglomerate. 

There is a strong business case to be made for integrating biodiversity into core management systems. It can help a company manage risks, capitalise on opportunities, and meet corporate social responsibilities.  Incorporating biodiversity into the everyday life of the business by providing green space in the form of a small wildlife garden with some chairs or a bench, or through a larger, perhaps flagship scheme like a green roof does not only provide benefits for biodiversity, but has also been proven to increase productivity and staff morale. 

Managing risk

For some Swindon companies this may mean managing risks related to protected species or the management of waste, energy or pollution which can have a direct impact on biodiversity.  Solutions can lead to cost savings as well as risk management, and a Company Biodiversity Action Plan (CBAP) can be built into Environmental Management Systems.  For more information about Corporate BAPs, visit the Wildlife Trusts’ Biodiversity Benchmark Scheme website.

Opportunities

Managing risk and undertaking biodiversity audits of a company’s assets can point to new opportunities:

• Cost saving – many companies own land that is contracted out for maintenance.  Small changes can mean that these areas can be managed to benefit wildlife while simultaneously cutting down on cost.  Areas of grassland that are religiously cut each week can be converted to flower rich meadows that only need cutting once or twice a year.
• Marketing – opportunities exist for incorporating biodiversity into marketing.  In Swindon some new housing is already promoted by playing up the magnificent natural environment that people will be moving in to.  Marketing can also emphasise the use of sustainable materials, and energy efficiency measures, and welcome packs can show how individuals can help build a sustainable future for the developing community.  With climate change now at the forefront of the public agenda, and receiving regular media coverage, the advantages of including biodiversity in development plans become manifold.
• Staff development and morale 
  Why not suggest a team building day for your office that can help conserve the natural environment? To discuss corporate teambuilding events that businesses can get involved with at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, contact Steve Pagett using the email address below
  
  Involvement in a project to restore an overgrown, litter-strewn pond at the rear of the company site and turn it into an attractive wildlife friendly area that staff can use during break times has a long lasting reward. 
  
  At the other end of the spectrum maintenance of a wildlife area often requires less intensive labour than a manicured lawn. Visit the 'in the garden' section of this website for more information about green gardening, and see below for more benefits of introducing more ‘green’ to your employees work lives.

Relevant targets and actions in the Swindon BAP that you as a business, particularly as a developer, can help to work towards:

• Talk to the relevant planning department for advice on pond creation and management in new housing development and roads (UP9). BAP target: All appropriate developments provide at least one new pond/wetland area for wildlife
• Planning applications incorporate biodiversity into building design (e.g. bird and bat roosting/nesting sites into converted buildings) target 50% of planning applications by 2009 (BG3)
• Encourage all developments of over 30 dwellings to include proposals for Sustainable Urban Drainage systems by 2007 (D10)
  

Corporate social responsibility

Incorporating biodiversity helps to develop an ethos of corporate social responsibility among businesses in Swindon.  Like all sectors of society, companies have a duty to balance social, economic and environmental needs.  Staff morale and corporate image are important.

• Championing.  This often makes use of a cute and cuddly animal such as the otter to act as a figurehead. This could also be a specific project, such as the production of the Wiltshire BAP, which was funded by AFL Telecommunications.
• Community Projects – these projects often combine social need with biodiversity, and may be one-off projects or part of a longer term commitment to the community, such as work in school grounds to create a pond and pond dipping platform as happened at Abbeymeads School, where the work was funded by the Co-op.

Greening your business

The health benefits of the provision of green space are now known.  For example within hospitals Whitehouse et al (2001) have shown that the incorporation of nature relaxes patients, and reduces stress and health complaints. 

It is also thought that the thermal benefits provided by green roofs can reduce staff absences, as a result of reduced fluctuation of daily mean temperature. The Living Roofs website has more information about the health benefits of green roofs.  Large areas of accessible green roof space can be created if the building is large enough, to the extreme of golf courses on roofs in the USA. 

Key issues in providing green roofs that are accessible to the workforce are:

• Health and safety - with the requirement of the provision of an external fence or rail
• Load-bearing - depending on the number of people using the roof
• Access to and from the roof space
• Whether the green space will be overlooking neighbouring property. 

The level of management required, particularly of extensive, biodiversity-rich green roofs is often lower than carefully manicured grassed areas on the ground.

Other benefits of green roofs include:

• Extended roof life
• Attenuation of storm water run-off
• Absorption of air pollutants and dust and subsequently improved air quality
• Provision of a wildlife habitat and increased biodiversity
• Reduced costs including drainage
• Heating and air conditioning
• Re-use of aggregates
• Noise amelioration

Biodiversity Action Plan species that might benefit from green roofs include bats, several birds, beetles, flies, bees, wasps and spiders. These include the black redstart (Birmingham and the Black Country, London), peregrine falcon (London) and a long-tongued bumblebee (London).

Further information on green roofs:

Green Roofs: their existing status and potential for conserving biodiversity in urban areas - English Nature (now Natural England) publication.  Download > (779kb)

Living Roofs website

The work of the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce (Green Spaces, Better Places, 2002) illustrates the increased emphasis that the government is placing on the value of green spaces in cities and towns.  This can be translated to the work place in the form of a small wildlife garden or green area set aside for staff to use – perhaps an area of paving could be converted to such a green space, or a litter-strewn area of grass could be transformed – maybe as part of a staff team-building day. This could further aid in the building of staff morale, and is a more easily achievable objective if the building of a green roof seems like a daunting prospect! 
Download Green Spaces, Better Places >

If you are inspired to green the roof of your house or buildings in your garden, visit the 'in the garden' section of this website for more information.  Remember to record the wildlife you see in your green spaces at work!
Go to the wildlife recording pages of this website >

Green Travel Plans

Why not investigate setting up a Travel Plan for your business? This is typically a package of practical measures to encourage people to choose alternatives to single-occupancy car use.  Measures at a work place might include setting up a car-share scheme, provision of cycle facilities such as bicycle racks or a covered cycle storage shed and an employee shower, negotiating improved bus services, or offering part-subsidies. 

Swindon Borough Council would like to facilitate an employers' travel forum for Swindon so that employers can discuss best practice, lobby public transport providers and share successes and challenges.  If you would be interested in participating in this forum, visit the Council’s website to find out more.

Corporate volunteering

For information about corporate volunteering at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust contact Steve Pagett by using the email box at the bottom of this page.

Meeting BAP targets

Other Swindon BAP targets that your business can help to meet include:

Rivers and Streams Action Plan, target number 6
Watercourses owned by adjacent businesses to be enhanced where appropriate: encourage at least five businesses to enhance their riparian land by 2009
How you can help: If you would like advice on ways in which watercourses owned by your business can be improved, please contact the Swindon Water for Wildlife Officer at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust by using the email box below.

Downlands Action Plan
Objective: Encourage Swindon’s businesses to buy beef and lamb produced in the North Wessex Downs, and on Swindon’s downs in particular.
How you can help: Visit the North Wessex Downs AONB website for information about the local produce that your business can buy – supporting local communities and the environment.   

Urban Ponds Action Plan, Target 14
Work with retail outlets to ensure that staff are aware of the problems associated with release of non-native species into the wild and the benefits of native plants: target - all retail outlets supply and promote native plants.
How your business can help: if your business sells pond plants, ensure that you and your staff are aware of the problems associated with release of non-native species into the wild, and the benefit of native plants.  Try only to supply and promote native plants. In Swindon introduced species such as Azolla (water fern) and Australian swamp stonecrop (Crassula) can have a devastating effect on native wildlife by displacing native plants.  If you would like more information contact the Swindon Water for Wildlife Officer at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust by using the email box below.

How can your business help?

Ask us any questions, or let us know what you are already doing by using the email box below...