A-Z Index











October 2006 - BUSINESS AND BIODIVERSITY


Integration of biodiversity into the heart of business activities is needed now. SNH is grant-aiding the Business Environment Partnership to provide a biodiversity advice service for businesses.

Biodiversity provides the raw materials and natural assets for many businesses. It provides us with resources including fuel, clothes, food, medicines and inspiration. Eco-tourism and wildlife watching trips are of increasing importance to the economy of Scotland. We have a duty to ensure that our actions do not spoil it for future generations. With greater awareness comes greater understanding; finding ways of working with and for biodiversity must become the norm rather than the exception. This is a challenge we must all accept and face up to now.


All of human economic activity ultimately depends on biodiversity – whether this is in the form of the primary plant and animal products from agriculture, fishing and forestry; natural resources such as peat (composed of plant remains) for imparting flavour to whisky; or even the basic energy sources coal and oil (formed from the remains of long-dead organisms). Ecological services, such as clean air and water, are made available to us through the activities of plants, bacteria and other organisms, which produce oxygen and scavenge pollutants. Because of this, all businesses are closely linked to the environment both locally and further afield. Many businesses are becoming more aware of the part that the environment and biodiversity play in their success and are starting to take measures to engage more positively in biodiversity conservation.

The Business Environment Partnership, with support from SNH, SEPA, Highland & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise and European funding, have launched a Business and Biodiversity project. This initiative employs an adviser to provide businesses with practical on site advice on ways they can contribute towards the conservation and enhancement of habitats and species.

Engaging with the business and biodiversity project has helped a number of businesses to realise benefits such as demonstrating their commitment to their environmental management system (EMS) whether its the internationally recognised ISO14001 standard or VisitScotland’s Green Tourism Business Scheme award. The project allows businesses to present their green image to clients and stakeholders and can be used as a vehicle for involving the local community in improving their environment.

Once a referral has been made, the Business and Biodiversity Adviser visits the company to examine what the company would like to achieve from this engagement and undertakes a site review. A report or Site Biodiversity Action Plan (SBAP) is produced for the company providing recommendations for improvements or changes that can be made to the site or to the companies’ management systems for the benefit of biodiversity. The SBAP is tailored to that specific company’s objectives and resources. After six, 12 and 24 months there are follow up meetings to monitor implementation and to consider the company for use as a case study. At all times the Business and Biodiversity Advisor is on hand to give advice, assistance and ideas for projects and partnerships.

The Business and Biodiversity Adviser also encourages businesses to look further afield than their own sites and help other organisations such as the Local Biodiversity Partnerships or SNH, to deliver biodiversity conservation on a local, national or UK wide scale. The business benefits from this engagement by, for example, creating an improved image and by delivering corporate social responsibility aims. Importantly, what the local community receives from this partnership is the delivery of biodiversity projects and a stronger voice to influence change where it is required.

Emtelle undertaking tree planting project to create
a wildlife corridor and to screen their manufacturing site in Jedburgh.
Local school and community participation was encouraged.


Summary of expected benefits for a company

Consumers and investors are also becoming more aware of the potential threat to biodiversity from business mismanagement and poor environmental policies. The rise in ethical purchasing and investment as well as the ever growing concerns of climate change and species extinctions has linked issues concerning biodiversity conservation with sustainability. Businesses need to look at where they can contribute to sustainability and biodiversity conservation not only because it makes economic sense but because it offers their business a better chance of a long term future. Whether it is because they are using raw materials in the manufacturing process more efficiently or because they are promoting their green image to meet market demands it is becoming more important to start engaging with environmental and biodiversity conservation. The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Implementation Plans also recognise the importance of this engagement and states under Urban Objective Two “To ensure that business practice enhances biodiversity and that economic activity is supported as a consequence”.

For more information or if you have a project which you think could benefit from corporate support please feel free to call Helen Dunlop, TheBEP Business and Biodiversity Adviser on 0131 561 6262 to discuss.

Other sources of biodiversity advice for businesses:

Forthcoming Biodiversity related events: