Top Tips for Managing Biodiversity for Environmental Practitioners

Introduction

Biodiversity management is an environmental issue that generalist environmental practitioners must sometimes consider. Quite often we are used to dealing with wastes, emissions and compliance with permits etc so I thought it might be worthwhile sharing my thoughts on some actions that can be taken to reduce the biodiversity impacts of the organisations for which we work.

Biodiversity Management System

A good option generally would be to ensure that a management system is developed that incorporates biodiversity assessment and control. This could be incorporated into the ISO 14001:2015 based environmental management system (EMS) framework such as:

• Policy commitments to protect biodiversity
• Making sure that biodiversity is recognised as a significant impact
• Objectives are set to improve biodiversity
• Operational controls are present to prevent biodiversity damage such as for purchasing or grounds maintenance etc.

There is great potential to ‘tweak’ an ISO 14001 EMS so that it has a greater emphasis on biodiversity.

Site Based Management Options

I have grouped these techniques under one title as they all involve what can be done to make the sites where we work more biodiversity positive.

A key specific initial task on sites is to understand the biodiversity baseline, basically what biodiversity is currently present with a particular emphasis on rare or endangered species. This might involve commissioning specialist surveys by ecologists for creatures such as birds, bats or reptiles – if we do not know what is present how can we put suitable protection plans in place?

Relevant staff and contractors should be made aware of any biodiversity that could be impacted by their activities and measures to reduce such impact. This could be achieved by means such as induction or awareness training.  Auditing and surveying can also play a part.

Reducing pollution can benefit biodiversity. For example, reducing noise from a facility can benefit nesting birds. Planting native species of plants such as flowering plants and trees can help in addition to boosting native numbers, they will help create a more beneficial ecosystem for other native species. 

Management plans could also be developed to include positive biodiversity practices such as the timing of maintenance work (when birds are not nesting for example), application of pesticides and removal of vegetation. 

Building Design

One of the best options is to ensure that buildings are designed in a way that promotes or at least reduces impact on biodiversity. 

For example, green roofs (those covered in turf) provide facilities for wildlife, while having other tangible benefits such as minimising the impact on landscapes and reducing energy consumption. Locating a development away from sensitive habitats and organisms is a very good option as well as implementing measures to enhance biodiversity such as bird boxes or bug hotels. 

Purchasing

On the upstream side of the lifecycle there are many opportunities to look at improving biodiversity. Such indirect impact reduction largely revolves around purchasing. This will often be for many organisations the greatest area of negative biodiversity impact reduction. 

Many organisations have selection criteria for products and services and included in that could be biodiversity related issues. One way to do this is to purchase products that can be proved to originate from a sustainable source as they carry a recognised sustainability label. Wood and wood products for example can be Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified which guarantees that they come from sustainably managed forests. Similar labelling schemes exist for other products such as Marine Stewardship Council and Fairtrade. If a recognised labelling scheme for a product group does not exist, then an assessment of the biodiversity risk of the product should be undertaken which should significantly influence the decision to purchase.

Final Note

There are many ways to manage biodiversity risk in an organisation. These include developing or ‘tweaking’ a certified EMS so that it covers biodiversity issues, site based options (examples being understanding the baseline through surveys, pollution control and training etc.) and considering biodiversity in building design and purchasing decisions.

John Binns BSc (Hons), MSc, MISEP (formerly IEMA)

John Binns BSc (Hons) MSc MISEP (formerly IEMA) is an experienced environmental tutor and consultant