Biodiversity in the built environment

Stephanie Palmer, head of sustainability, at Wienerberger explores actions that housebuilders and supply chains can take to halt and reverse biodiversity loss within the construction industry.

Biodiversity underpins ecosystem services which provide clean water, purify our air, maintain soil health, regulate the climate, recycle nutrients and provide us with food With architects, specifiers, developers and housebuilders facing greater pressure to improve biodiversity measures, what steps can the sector take?

Urbanisation and land use change by the construction sector has led to significant biodiversity loss in the UK over the last five decades 41% of species have experienced a decline in their populations, 13% are now classified as threatened and there has been a 15% decrease in average species abundance

Collective action is crucial to protect and restore biodiversity, and the housebuilding sector has an important role to play Biodiversity underpins the ecosystem services that sustain our quality of life including clean water, food, medicine and shelter

The construction industry depends heavily on building materials derived (directly or indirectly) from natural resources such as clay, limestone, timber, and sand. Material producers also use water and energy resources to manufacture products which enable us to build structures Through their purchasing decisions architects, specifiers, developers and housebuilders can help to conserve biodiversity and use these natural resources responsibly

In December 2022, a historic global agreement to halt biodiversity loss was reached at COP15 involving 188 countries. The agreement includes a pledge to phase out or reform subsidies that harm biodiversity by at least £500bn annually and to preserve 30% of the world's terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine ecosystems The agreement emphasised the importance of protecting biodiversity - not only for the survival of species, but also for the health and wellbeing of people and the planet

W i t h i n t h e h o u s e b u i l d i n g s e c t o r , e v e r y m e m b e r o f t h e v a l u e c h a i n c a n c o n t r i b u t e t o w a r d s h a l t i n g a n d r e v e r s i n g b i o d i v e r s i t y l o s s .

The impact of housing developments

Of course, building new housing developments can have a significant impact on biodiversity both on and off-site On-site land use changes, such as paving over greenspaces and removing top soil are visible biodiversity impacts There are off-site impacts for surrounding biodiversity too, such as species disturbance or displacement For example, noise and light pollution can disrupt feeding and breeding behaviours in adjacent habitat, and vegetation clearance may reduce natural flood defense effectiveness downstream

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Decision-makers can take proactive measures to reduce biodiversity impacts in a variety of ways, including: l Applying the biodiversity mitigation hierarchy early in the project plan; l Utilising non-toxic materials; l Minimising waste arising from construction; l Retaining or reinstating hedgerows instead of using fencing; l Installing bat and bird boxes; l Including green infrastructure such as Sustainable Drainage Systems.

Developers and housebuilders will also need to comply with Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements from November 2023, an approach to development and land management that aims to enhance the natural environment and leave it in a better state than before.

A mandatory 10% Biodiversity Net Gain requirement was introduced in the Environment Act (2021) for new developments in England, based on the Biodiversity Net Gain metric developed by Natural England.

At Wienerberger, we have a biodiversity strategy which aims to demonstrate that a minimum 10% Biodiversity Net Gain is achieved or in progress across our land assets by 2030, compared to a 2022 baseline. Although it is not a legal requirement (Biodiversity Net Gain applies to new developments only), we believe that the Biodiversity Net Gain metric is currently the best-practice method to demonstrate habitat enhancement and promote biodiversity.

Best practices to adopt

In practice, housebuilders and developers should consider the biodiversity impact of products across the whole lifecycle: from raw material sourcing, through the benefits in use, to end-of-life stage.

To improve outcomes for biodiversity through design, we have updated our internal product development scorecards to favour product concepts that provide habitat and/or a food source for wildlife. We’ve partnered with experienced ecologists to inform product design and respond to customer needs with new products and services, including an expansion of the Eco-Habitat product range. This range includes products such as bat boxes, bug bricks and clay tiles with access for bats.

The most incredible thing about biodiversity is its resilience. Nature will gradually recover if we allow it, and this process can be accelerated with welldesigned interventions and careful attention.

COP15 placed biodiversity loss on the global agenda, and a global deal has been struck. As a result, it is now the responsibility of the entire construction industry value chain to work together and implement measures to halt the loss of biodiversity. We extend an invitation for all to join us in this effort.

WAN T TO KNOW MORE?

For more information about Wienerberger’s biodiversity strategy visit www.rdr.link/dam008

For more about its SuDS offer, go to www.rdr.link/dam009