Put simply this means undertaking an inventory of the wildlife, animals and plants that are supported by your Estate and an assessment of their status and their needs. All wildlife should be welcome and encouraged on your Estate. This should include an assessment of the presence of species protected by law under relevant UK and European legislation. For example, bats, badgers, reptiles and amphibians.

There are often simple things which can be done to ensure that business can continue, and wildlife can also continue to thrive. The occurrence of wildlife on your estate will vary depending on your size, your business sector, and whether you are located in an urban or rural in setting.

Engaging your employees directly in this survey (with appropriate support) would be an invaluable way to develop employee understanding and commitment.
www.jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-1377 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/490/contents/made The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations

The UK Government published its own Biodiversity strategy in 1994, Biodiversity: The UK Action Plan (www.ukbap.org.uk). This was most recently updated in 2008. This was prepared in response to The Convention on Biological Resources (CBD), a product of the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, at which 150 nations made a commitment to develop national strategies for the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity.

The UK BAP sets out clear and measurable objectives for conserving and enhancing species and habitats as well as promoting public awareness and contributing to international conservation efforts.

It contains 59 objectives for conserving and enhancing species and habitats as well as promoting public awareness and contributing to international conservation efforts.

Following on from the initial strategy publication, 391 Species Action Plans (SAPs) and 45 Habitat Action Plans (HAPs) were published for the UK's most threatened (i.e. "priority") species and habitats. These plans describe the status of each habitat and species, outlines the threats they face, set targets and objectives for their management, and propose actions necessary to achieve their recovery.

In addition there are Local Biodiversity Action Plans, normally at prepared at a County level. These plans usually include actions to address the needs of the UK priority habitats and species in the local area, together with a range of other plans for habitats and species that are of local importance or interest.

In some cases the UK strategy also outlined the responsibilities of certain Business sectors (eg. Utilities) to contribute directly to delivering UK Biodiversity priorities.

www.ukbap.org.uk/
www.wessexwater.co.uk/environment/threecol.aspx?id=420&linkidentifier=id...
http://corporateresponsibility2010.unitedutilities.com/progressPolicy.aspx

Establishing a staff engagement/education programme relating to Biodiversity is a fantastic way to inspire and motivate staff. This could encompass a range of activities. Establish a Biodiversity ambassador/s in your business to lead on this issue. This could be as simple as promoting an understanding of the wildlife on your doorstep, supported by your estate. A wider objective could be to support and promote an understanding of the diversity of wildlife that is supported by or impacted by your Business supply chain.

This is particularly appropriate to the following businesses. For example; Agriculture related businesses, Timber supply and Construction businesses, Utility (eg. water and energy) companies, minerals and aggregates companies, all of whom derive their primary resources from natural ecosystems (eg. woodlands, grasslands) and services (eg. water). In each case the simple maintenance of the primary resource in a good condition will have beneficial biodiversity impacts.

For example the appropriate grazing of semi-natural grasslands supports a fantastic diversity of wildlife, birds, butterflies, bees, as a by product of producing food (eg. milk, beef and lamb). Likewise the sustainable management of woodlands (FSC certified) will support a wonderful diversity of woodland wildlife, especially birds, butterflies and moths while continuing to supply timber to the building and construction trade. These represent tremendous opportunities to educate and inform staff about the interconnectedness of consumer buying decisions and the natural processes that support life.

There are also opportunities in the Finance sector to have a significant impact through their investment decisions. The Finance sector should be demanding to know what the biodiversity impact of their investment decisions are, and what measures to support biodiversity are in place within the businesses they invent in.

www.batbiodiversity.org/groupms/sites/BAT_8A7ED8.nsf/vwPagesWebLive/DO8C... Earthwatch Employee Engagement Programme

It is always important to seek expert advice. One way of establishing your business as a leader in this field would be to formally partner with a recognised NGO who are known experts in the field of biodiversity conservation. This partnership would usually be for an agreed fixed period subject to regular review, and could take a variety of formats. The sort of NGO and sort of partnership you might adopt will vary depending on your sector, your size of business operation, your national and international reach, and the diversity and extent of your supply chain.

The partnership may be exclusive or it may be as part of a wider partnership delivering multiple objectives. Again this will depend on the type and size and reach of your business. Many companies will have a diverse resource base and hence a diverse impact on Biodiveristy. This represents a tremendous opportunity to have significant biodiversity benefits, while also engaging and motivating staff.

Links:
www.earthwatch.org/europe/
www.rspb.org.uk
www.butterfly-conservation.org/

www.wildlifetrusts.org/

www.iucn.org
www.wwf.org.uk/