Other Initiatives
Other environmental initiatives will have direct and indirect benefits
for biodiversity.
Energy efficiency
Climate change is one of the most pressing environmental problems
of our time. There is no longer serious scientific debate about
whether climate change is occurring - or that human emissions of
greenhouse gases are a major driver of this change. The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, the UN scientific body responsible for
analysing available data and providing information on this issue,
has concluded that climate change will lead to a severe adverse
impact on habitats and wildlife as well as ecosystems and the services
they provide.
See the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change website at: www.ipcc.ch.
Carbon dioxide, released by burning fossil fuels, is the most significant
greenhouse gas, and all businesses can take measures to reduce energy
use and increase energy efficiency, thus reducing the production
of carbon dioxide. You can also partially offset your carbon dioxide
emissions through contributing to carbon sequestration schemes,
which remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through, for example,
planting trees.
Implementing an energy efficiency scheme can contribute to biodiversity
conservation - and may save your company money! You can find information
about business and climate change, and guidance on implementing
energy efficiency schemes, on the following websites:
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/energy
www.actionenergy.org.uk
www.co2.org
www.futureforests.com
Emissions reduction
Most of your company's emissions will be regulated and controlled
by statutory obligations and monitoring agencies. These will give
legally acceptable level of emissions for given substances and modes
of emissions. However, these levels may not fully account for some
sub-lethal effects which may have effects on organisms over the
longer term. For example, hormone-like chemicals emitted at low
levels can accumulate in fish body tissues and affect breeding success.
This makes a population more vulnerable to extinction, because it
is less able to recover from adverse impacts, such as unplanned
pollution events, dry summers or over-fishing. By reviewing your
operations it may be possible to achieve emission reduction targets
that go beyond compliance, resulting in benefits to biodiversity
both locally and over longer distances.
Useful links:
Environment Agency
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Scottish Environment Protection Agency
www.sepa.org.uk
Environmental Information Exchange
www.brookes.ac.uk/eie/index
Waste reduction and recycling
Waste is an unavoidable by-product of all businesses - from the
small scale production of domestic and office waste to the hazardous
wastes associated with some manufacturing processes. Waste disposal
- whether by incineration or landfill - can impact on biodiversity
as a result of loss of habitat through direct landtake, leachates
affecting groundwater and release of greenhouse and other gases
to the atmosphere. By examining waste production in all aspects
of your business and implementing schemes to minimise and recycle
waste you can reduce your impacts on biodiversity - and improve
your bottom line!
See this site for information on the business benefits of waste
reduction and a guide to making it happen in your company:
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/waste.
Photo Credit: Peter Wakely/English
Nature |