To mark World Environment Day 2022, we are focussing on biodiversity at Scott Bader’s UK headquarters.

World Environment Day on 5^th June, 2022 is the biggest international day for the environment. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme and held annually since 1974, the event has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach, with millions of people from across the world engaging to protect the planet.

Why is biodiversity important?

It is now considered a well-established reality that we are in the midst of a biodiversity crisis, with regular news headlines declaring a ‘biodiversity catastrophe’. These warnings are driven and supported by major global biodiversity studies, such as the WWF Living Planet Report (2020), which shows that the average population size of all vertebrates has dropped by 68% since 1970. Increasing alarm surrounding these reports has led to greater consideration of biodiversity impacts by business within sustainability policies and reporting.

What is biodiversity?

At its simplest, biodiversity references the variety of life across all levels, from the scale of genes to full ecosystems and cultures. Here, we will focus on diversity at species level due to the simplicity of measurement.

Overview of 2021 biodiversity survey at Scott Bader UK

During the summer of 2021 a biodiversity survey was carried out at Scott Bader’s UK headquarters, a 44-acre mixed use site in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, with sizeable pond, grassland and woodland habits.

The survey was conducted with four key objectives:

• Cataloguing site biodiversity as a benchmark for future conservation efforts
• Identifying areas of the site for biodiversity improvement
• Locating species or habitats of conservation concern for protection
• Mapping the location and extent of invasive species spread

Survey results

Progress

Since the 2015 Scott Bader Wildlife Trust Survey, there has been significant progress in developing the wildlife value of the site. Major priorities identified in 2015 were pond restoration and wildflower meadow creation (G4), which have both been successfully implemented. This has led to the establishment of a variety of traditional meadow plant species on site which have undergone UK-wide declines and are under threat, creating important wildlife habitats.

Priorities going forward

Building on the successful biodiversity improvements since the last survey, focus should now turn towards woodland restoration as a priority. Whilst, this was marked as a secondary priority in 2015, it is now the resource where the biggest potential increases to wildlife value can be made. Continued restoration of the traditional orchard and the establishment of a wildflower meadow at the orchard site should also be prioritised for their wildlife benefits. Biodiversity enrichment measures at the other grassland sites should be a secondary priority.

Scott Bader is committed to restoring, maintaining and growing its biodiversity at all of its site, globally.

Read more on about biodiversity at Scott Bader in our 2021 Sustainability Report.