This year Biodiversity Week is aligned with our Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), which underscores our commitment to integrating biodiversity conservation into our broader sustainability efforts, reinforcing our dedication to environmental stewardship and sustainable resource management.
Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, the communities they form and the habitats in which they live. It maintains ecological balance, economic value, and scientific and educational value, making its continued existence essential to a wide range of groups. The ‘Biodiversity Crisis’ refers to the accelerated loss of species and habitats around the world, which is occurring at an unprecedented rate due to human activities. Commentators such as Sir David Attenborough have highlighted that the biodiversity crisis is just as important as the climate change crisis, emphasising that both are interconnected and require urgent action.
As one of the largest social housing providers in the country, with over 13,000 homes, we recognise that we have a significant impact on biodiversity. We own and maintain a large amount of land, develop new homes to meet housing need, and have the opportunity to positively influence tenants, staff, and stakeholders.
Choice wants to understand the impact we have on biodiversity, and we aim to promote best practice to assist habitats and species to stabilise declining populations. The benefits for our tenants and local communities are also clear as improving biodiversity can have an overall positive impact on human health and happiness. Contact with natural environments has been shown to improve mental health, reduce stress and enhance physical well-being.
This week we will be looking at how Choice is embedding biodiversity into existing schemes, building biodiversity into our new developments, some of our planned biodiversity projects, and offering information and support on our and our partners efforts.
We are currently developing a Biodiversity Action Plan, which is a strategic framework developed by organisations to protect and enhance biodiversity environments which they have control over and acts as a roadmap to model conservation efforts. A BAP is a valuable way of targeting conservation at a local level. For Choice, it will provide a clearer overview of areas where species and habitats are at schemes, identifying threats and outlining steps to be taken to protect and improve our environment, enabling preservation and enhancing biodiversity for the future.
