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Sector Case Studies
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Photo Credit: Kennedy Quarries
Kennedy Quarries Ltd (a Lagan Group Company), Coleraine, Co. Londonderry,
demonstrates their commitment to environmental protection, enhancement
and promotion of its biodiversity by compiling and implementing
a company Biodiversity Management Plan. Their basalt quarry, aggregate
processing facilities and bituminous coating plant is surrounded
by 9 ha of land, and is a mosaic of grassland, gorse heath, embankments,
semi-natural woodland, scrub and hedgerows.
The Biodiversity Management Plan, specific to Kennedy Quarries
audits the habitat and species present surrounding the quarry, identifies
local and national priority habitats and species, and provides a
framework to maximise site biodiversity. The principal objective
of the plan is to provide the site manager with a clear understanding
of how contributions to national and local biodiversity can be achieved
through the management of the site and environmental awareness within
the company.
Kennedy Quarries has also formed a partnership with the Conservation
Volunteers Northern Ireland (CVNI) a region of the national organisation
British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV). The company is
working together with CVNI’s experienced conservation staff
to help manage their landholdings for the benefit of biodiversity
and long term good. The biodiversity plan has also been incorporated
into the annual audits aimed at achieving ISO 140001 accreditation.
Aggregate companies in Northern Ireland are following Kennedy’s
lead and are also developing their own site specific company biodiversity
action plans which is in step with the regional Biodiversity and
Geodiversity Action Plan being written for the sector by the Quarry
Products Association NI in partnership with the Environment and
Heritage Service, RSPB and the Ulster Wildlife Trust.
Shell plc recognises its impacts on biodiversity. In 2001 the company
devised a Biodiversity Standard/Policy to help mitigate these impacts.
Through the standard Shell has committed to not explore or drill
for oil and gas resources in natural World Heritage Sites and to
develop site BAPs (Biodiversity Action Plans) when operating in
IUCN Category I-IV protected areas (by end of 2005) and other areas
of high biodiversity value (by end 2007).
The standard is being implemented into all Shell companies by incorporating
biodiversity into its internal Environment, Social and Health Impact
Assessment processes that are conducted for any new major projects
or significant modifications to existing projects. This helps address
biodiversity early on in the decision making process and project
design, ensuring that managers take biodiversity seriously and report
on their activities.
Shell has also developed an internal online mapping system, which
can be used globally, allowing the operating units to identify environmentally
sensitive sites and map them against the existing or planned activities
in order to get a better understanding of the associated environmental
risks. The information obtained from the impact assessment and monitoring
studies provide ecological data that is shared with the larger biodiversity
community through a collaborative effort with UNEP-WCMC
(The World Conservation Monitoring Centre) known as ECOiSHARE.
Communication amongst the group is essential to promote biodiversity
as an integral part of sustainable development, encouraging staff
to comply with the biodiversity standard. A biodiversity working
group has been established to keep everyone updated on internal
and external biodiversity related activities, news and new communication
materials.
Through working in partnerships and consulting with biodiversity
experts the group hopes to make a positive contribution towards
the conservation of global biodiversity.
Aggregate Industries has identified biodiversity as one of three
major environmental aspects within its ISO 14001 certified Environment
Management System. In 2002 the company published a Company Biodiversity
Action Plan (CBAP) outlining its targets, which it is implementing
across the company and on its sites. The CBAP is available to the
general public through the company’s web site and progress
towards achieving the targets is reported annually in Aggregate
Industries plc Sustainability Report.
The company operates 71 quarries, over 50% of which have developed
Site Biodiversity Action Plans. Many of these sites are responsible
for designated conservation areas including Sites of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSI) (biological and geological), RAMSAR and Special
Protected Areas which are managed as part of the Site BAPs.
Photo Credit: Noel Morrin/RMC
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