New White Paper: Fostering Corporate-Community Relations through Meaningful Engagement

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SILVER SPRING, MD, October 14, 2021 – Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) offers a new white paper available for download today, Fostering Corporate-Community Relations through Meaningful Engagement. The white paper is sponsored by Stellantis and is available for free on our website.  

As the current biodiversity and climate crises become more dire, and more opportunities for the private sector to address these issues arise, expectations for companies to act quickly, transparently and in conjunction with scientific consensus will continue to grow. Community engagement allows the public to observe, and often participate in, corporate and facility-level responses to these environmental threats, and helps companies establish, maintain or restore social license to operate.   

Depending on a region’s environmental, cultural and socioeconomic contexts, engagement efforts can take many forms, from teaching youth how to help the wildlife in their backyards to promoting environmental equity by ensuring that a conservation project creates value for marginalized communities. Regardless of the approach taken, an awareness of community needs is key. To illustrate the breadth of options for community engagement, the case studies featured in the white paper represent many industries and regions, including:   

  • Bacardi-Martini USA: Puerto Rico – Cataño, Puerto Rico 
  • Boeing: Santa Susana Field Laboratory – California, U.S.A. 
  • CEMEX: Tepeaca – Puebla, Mexico 
  • Covia: Huntersville Office – North Carolina, U.S.A. 
  • Crestwood Midstream: FBIR Grassland Reclamation – North Dakota, U.S.A. 
  • Exelon Corporation: Nine Mile Point Nuclear Power Station – New York, U.S.A. 
  • General Motors: World Headquarters – Michigan, U.S.A. 
  • Ontario Power Generation: Western Waste Management Facility & Bruce Complex – Ontario, Canada 
  • Opel Automobile: Opel Manufacturing Poland Sp. z.o.o. Gliwice – Śląskie, Poland  
  • Waste Management: Twin Bridges Recycling & Disposal Facility – Indiana, U.S.A. 

Sponsored by Stellantis, this white paper includes a forward from the company which states, “There is no question that corporations must coexist with local communities to enhance, lift up and support the neighborhoods in which they do business…We’re listening to our neighbors and working with them to improve the quality of life for people who live and work here.”  

About Wildlife Habitat Council: 

For 33 years, WHC has been promoting and certifying ecological stewardship action on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since only 10-15% of the world’s land surface is protected, private lands provide an essential opportunity for restoring and protecting biodiversity. As the only international conservation NGO focused exclusively on the private sector, WHC provides a framework for voluntary conservation action on a wide variety of corporate lands. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries. 

New White Paper: WHC White Paper Supporting the Global Pollinator Population through Local Action

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SILVER SPRING, MD, JUNE 23, 2021 – Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) offers a new white paper available for download today, Supporting the Global Pollinator Population Through Local Action. The white paper is sponsored by BASF and is available for free on our website.  

This publication serves as an extension of the 2016 WHC white paper, Prioritizing Pollinators in Corporate America: How Companies Can Align Their Business Needs with the National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators. The new release provides an update on the prior publication’s focal species (bees and butterflies in the U.S.), while also exploring the conservation efforts of companies around the world, as well as efforts that focus on lesser-known pollinators like moths, nectivorous bats, hummingbirds and beetles.  

In the time since Prioritizing Pollinators in Corporate America was published, the need to support the world’s pollinators has, in many ways, grown more dire, as evidenced by the declining numbers indicated in recent monarch butterfly counts and studies on bee populations. As pollinators are key to global biodiversity, food security and economic prosperity, it is critical to reverse these losses now.  

Fortunately, pollinator conservation can be conducted on properties of any size, and in every geographic region. Pollinator projects are, therefore, one of the most accessible and popular forms of corporate conservation, and companies worldwide are taking local action to rectify this global issue. Featured case studies include:   

  • Covia: Planta Lampazos – Nuevo León, Mexico 
  • DTE Energy: Washington-10 Compressor Station – Michigan, U.S.A 
  • ExxonMobil: ElectroPhos – Florida, U.S.A 
  • Freeport-McMoRan: Copper Queen Branch – Arizona, U.S.A 
  • General Motors: GM Powertrain Uzbekistan – Tashkent, Uzbekistan  
  • ITC Holdings: ITC Transmission Line Right-of-Way at Chippewa Nature Center – Michigan, U.S.A 
  • Marathon Petroleum Corporation: Galveston Bay Refinery – Texas, U.S.A 
  • Waste Management: Kirby Canyon Recycling and Disposal Facility – California, U.S.A 

Sponsored by BASF, this white paper includes a forward from the company which states, “Together, with the Wildlife Habitat Council and its member companies, BASF is transforming its dedication to wildlife stewardship and habitat enhancement into sustainable programs. We will continue to support this important work and encourage our employees, community volunteers and like-minded companies to do the same.” 

About Wildlife Habitat Council: 

For 33 years, WHC has been promoting and certifying ecological stewardship action on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since only 10-15% of the world’s land surface is protected, private lands provide an essential opportunity for restoring and protecting biodiversity. As the only international conservation NGO focused exclusively on the private sector, WHC provides a framework for voluntary conservation action on a wide variety of corporate lands. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries. 

2021 WHC Awards Announced at WHC Conservation Conference

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SILVER SPRING, MD, JUNE 9, 2021 – Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) announced the winners of its 2021 WHC Awards during WHC Conservation Conference, held virtually on June 8-9. The WHC Awards honor excellence in corporate conservation; recipients include both national and international companies across a variety of industry sectors. 

This year’s top awards, signifying leadership in conservation, were won by Waste Management, Bayer and Ontario Power Generation. 

“WHC members, including Waste Management, Bayer and Ontario Power Generation lead by example, demonstrating the business case for conservation through their on-site actions and outreach efforts,” said Margaret O’Gorman, President, WHC. “Around the world, companies, programs and project teams are utilizing private lands to enact the nature-based solutions that are so critical to the global biodiversity and climate crises. It is an honor to recognize many leaders in corporate conservation through the WHC Awards.”  

Waste Management received the 2021 WHC Corporate Conservation Leadership Award. This award honors one company’s overall achievement in conservation efforts and signifies an exemplary level of corporate commitment to biodiversity and conservation education, and meaningful alignments with global conservation objectives. 

The Employee Engagement Award, given to Bayer, recognizes a company’s involvement in conservation through the sheer force of its employee teams who participate in its habitat and conservation education activities. 

Ontario Power Generation won the Gold Tier Program Award, which honors the overall conservation depth of one exceptional program, for the conservation efforts of its Western Waste Management Facility and Bruce Complex in Ontario, Canada.  

In addition to these corporate and program-level awards, individual projects are recognized for excellence in each of the WHC Project Guidance themes. This award category, presented by Boeing, offers projects of all sizes the ability to compete for recognition.  

Waste Management was the year’s most honored company, picking up four awards, including the WHC Corporate Conservation Leadership Award and three project awards (Pollinators, Landscaped, and Awareness and Engagement) for the conservation and education efforts of Bucks County Landfills, located in Pennsylvania.  

The following is a complete list of 2021 WHC Award Winners: 

WHC Corporate Conservation Leadership Award
Waste Management 

WHC Employee Engagement Award
Bayer 

WHC Gold Program Award
Ontario Power Generation, Western Waste Management Facility & Bruce Complex  |  Ontario, Canada 

WHC Avian Project Award
Vulcan Materials Company, Havre De Grace Quarry  |  Havre De Grace, Maryland U.S.A. 

WHC Awareness & Engagement Project Award
Waste Management of PA, Bucks County Landfills  |  Morrisville, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. 

WHC Bats Project Award
Freeport-McMoRan Inc., Unidad de Producción Cerro Verde|   Arequipa, Arequipa, Peru 

WHC Forests Project Award
CEMEX, Las Salinas & Laguna Cabral (República Dominicana)   |   Las Salinas, Barahona, Dominican Republic 

WHC Formal Learning Project Award
Bridgestone Americas, Inc., Aiken County Off Road Tire Plant   |    Trenton, South Carolina, U.S.A. 

WHC Grasslands Project Award
Crestwood Midstream, FBIR Grassland Reclamation   |   Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, North Dakota, U.S.A. 

WHC Green Infrastructure Project Award
Davey Resource Group, Inc., WSSI Native Habitat   |   Gainesville, Virginia, U.S.A. 

 WHC Invasive Species Project Award
CRH Americas Materials, Inc., Gravette Quarry Site   |   Gravette, Arkansas, U.S.A. 

WHC Landscaped Project Award
Waste Management of PA, Bucks County Landfills   |   Morrisville, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. 

WHC Mammals Project Award
Vulcan Materials Company, Conservation of biodiversity and environmental services in the Mesoamerican Reef   |   Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico 

WHC Marine Intertidal Project Award
BP, Cherry Point Refinery |   Blaine, Washington, U.S.A. 

WHC Other Habitats Project Award
California Resources Corporation, Elk Hills Conservation Area|   Tupman, California, U.S.A. 

WHC Pollinators Project Award
Waste Management of PA, Bucks County Landfills    |   Morrisville, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. 

WHC Remediation Project Award
The Boeing Company, Santa Susana Field Laboratory|   Canoga Park, California, U.S.A. 

WHC Reptiles & Amphibians Project Award
CRH Americas Materials, Inc., Dufferin Aggregates Acton Quarry|   Concord, Ontario, Canada 

WHC Rocky Areas Project Award
Exelon, Goat Hill Serpentine Barrens Restoration   |   Nottingham, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. 

WHC Species of Concern Project Award
Freeport-McMoRan Inc., Unidad de Producción Cerro Verde|   Arequipa, Arequipa, Peru 

WHC Training Project Award
ITC Holdings, Transmission Line Right-of-Way at Tomlinson Arboretum|   Clinton Township, Michigan, U.S.A. 

WHC Wetlands & Water Bodies Project Award
Exelon, Morton Wetland   |   Morton, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. 

Award finalists and winners were chosen from Conservation Certification applications submitted from July 15, 2020 – December 31, 2020 that were granted certification. Information on award criteria can be found here. 

About Wildlife Habitat Council  

For 33 years, WHC has been promoting and certifying ecological stewardship action on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since only 10-15% of the world’s land surface is protected, private lands provide an essential opportunity for restoring and protecting biodiversity. As the only international conservation NGO focused exclusively on the private sector, WHC provides a framework for voluntary conservation action on a wide variety of corporate lands. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries. 

New White Paper: Private Sector Potential for Community-First Climate Action

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SILVER SPRING, MD, MAY 11, 2021 – Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) offers a new white paper available for download today, Leveraging the Power of Nature: Private Sector Potential for Community-First Climate Action. The white paper is sponsored by Cleveland-Cliffs and is available for free in our White Paper library.

Since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2016, more attention has been given to the critical role that nature must play in curbing climate change and helping humans and the environment withstand the unpredictable events that a changing climate will bring.

Actions that restore or manage ecosystems in the name of climate action are known as Natural Climate Solutions (NCS), a subset of Nature-Based Solutions. By adopting these practices on their lands, corporate landowners can help sequester carbon in their soil and vegetation and increase local resiliency to climate change, while empowering community members to do the same.

Given the co-benefits associated with acts like enhancing habitat or installing green infrastructure, corporate landowners worldwide are already employing NCS, even if their stated goals speak to other environmental needs. This white paper explores NCS in a wide range of industrial, geographic and environmental contexts, and the organizations featured reflect this diversity. Case studies include:

  • Bayer: Luling Plant – Louisiana, U.S.A
  • DTE Energy: River Rouge Power Plant – Michigan, U.S.A
  • ExxonMobil: Kearl – Alberta, Canada
  • Fidelity Investments: Smithfield – Rhode Island, U.S.A
  • Freeport-McMoRan: PTFI – Papua, Indonesia
  • General Motors: Wentzville Assembly Center – Missouri, U.S.A
  • Toyota Motor North America: Toyota Motor Manufacturing – Alabama, U.S.A
  • Waste Management: Orchard Ridge Recycling and Disposal Facility – Wisconsin, U.S.A

Sponsored by Cleveland-Cliffs, this white paper includes a forward from the company which states, “There is no denying that one of the most important issues impacting our planet is climate change. The American steel industry is already among the cleanest and most energy-efficient in the world, but we know that Cleveland-Cliffs can and must do more. As a result, Cleveland-Cliffs recently announced our plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 25% by 2030 from 2017 levels, across all of our Cleveland-Cliffs operations.”

About Wildlife Habitat Council:

For 33 years, WHC has been promoting and certifying ecological stewardship action on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since only 10-15% of the world’s land surface is protected, private lands provide an essential opportunity for restoring and protecting biodiversity. As the only international conservation NGO focused exclusively on the private sector, WHC provides a framework for voluntary conservation action on a wide variety of corporate lands. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries.

Sheryl Telford of Chemours Announced as New WHC Board Chair

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April 29, 2021 – Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) announces the appointment of Sheryl Telford as the new Chair of the WHC Board of Directors. She succeeds Bill Cobb of Freeport-McMoRan, who remains on Board as Immediate Past Chair, Executive Committee.

Sheryl was recently appointed as Chief Sustainability Officer at The Chemours Company, and continues to serve as Vice President Environment, Health and Safety. She has more than three decades of experience in the environmental, safety and health fields in the government, utility and chemistry sectors.

“I am most grateful for Bill Cobb’s four years’ of service as Board Chair and welcome Sheryl for her keen insights into the ever-changing global corporate landscape and her knowledge of the value WHC can bring to corporate citizenship, sustainability, and reporting efforts,” said Margaret O’Gorman, President, WHC.

Adds Sheryl, “The work of WHC and its members makes a difference in our fight to save biodiversity around the world. I’m proud and excited to work with the outstanding people at WHC and lead the Board to further advance our positive impact.”

Other new WHC Board appointments include Connie Hergert, Vice President Real Estate & Environment of Ontario Power Generation, who will now serve as Secretary/Treasurer, and Matt Kolesar, ExxonMobil, joining the board.

The full WHC Board List is as follows:

Sheryl A. Telford, Chief Sustainability Officer & Vice President of EHS, The Chemours Company
Chair

Laurie Davies Adams, President and CEO, Pollinator Partnership
Vice Chair

Connie Hergert, Vice President Real Estate & Environment, Ontario Power Generation
Secretary-Treasurer

William E. Cobb, Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer, Freeport-McMoRan, Inc.
Immediate Past Chair

Kevin Butt, Senior Director, Environmental Sustainability, Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
Past Chair

Bill Brady, Vice President, Corporate Environmental Strategy, Exelon Corporation

Greg Cekander, Vice President of Environmental Management Group, Waste Management

Edan Dionne, Vice President, Environmental, Energy & Chemical Management Programs, IBM Corporation

John Hay, Senior Vice President Government Relations, CRH Americas Materials, Inc.

Andy Hoffman, Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise, University of Michigan

Alan Kreisberg, Independent Consultant

Matthew Kolesar, Chief Environmental Scientist, ExxonMobil Corporation

Glen Kurowski, Head of Environmental Protection & Remediation Management, Corporate Health, Safety & Environment, Bayer

Chris Morgan, Filmmaker and Educator, Uproar

Mark Patterson, Vice President, Environment, Health and Safety Services, USA, BASF Corporation

Shawn P. Patterson, Vice President, Environmental Management & Safety, DTE Energy

Gregory Ronczka, Vice President, Environment & Sustainability, Lehigh Hanson

Greg Rose, Director of Environment, Health & Safety, Stellantis

William Steers, Independent Member

New White Paper Conservation and Community Through Site-Specific Reclamation

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SILVER SPRING, MD, January 5, 2021 – Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) offers a new white paper available for download today, Conservation and Community Through Site-Specific Reclamation – End uses that encourage native species prosperity and connect to local and regional needs. The white paper is sponsored by Chemours and is available for free on our website.

The white paper explores the ways in which companies can exceed regulatory reclamation requirements after their extraction, processing or disposal activities have ceased in an area. The programs featured in the paper have used mandatory reclamation work to support voluntary habitat and community engagement projects, including:
  • Albemarle: Kings Mountain Pollinator Habitat
  • CEMEX: Lipówka Quarry Restored to Nature and Canteras Norte, Sur, Zona 3 y Zona 4
  • Covia Holdings Corporation: Dividing Creek
  • Dow Chemical Company: Sault Ste. Marie
  • ExxonMobil: Joliet Refinery
  • Freeport-McMoRan: Henderson Operations
  • Summit Materials: Hamm Sanitary Landfill
  • Vulcan Materials Company: Azusa Rock
It’s hard to find a human activity that does not rely on the extraction, transport, processing or disposal of natural resources. While these activities can lead to some degree of habitat fragmentation or pollution while a facility is active, the reclamation work that takes place after operations cease creates new opportunities for habitat creation and connectivity, as well as unique ways to engage the surrounding community. Although each sector has its own considerations when conducting reclamation, the nature-based solutions featured in this white paper offer insights that can benefit any industry.
About Wildlife Habitat Council:
For 33 years, WHC has been promoting and certifying ecological stewardship action on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since only 10-15% of the world’s land surface is protected, private lands provide an essential opportunity for restoring and protecting biodiversity. As the only international conservation NGO focused exclusively on the private sector, WHC provides a framework for voluntary conservation action on a wide variety of corporate lands. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries.

2020 WHC Awards Announced at the first WHC Connect Virtual Conference

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OCTOBER 7, 2020 – Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) announced the winners of its 2020 WHC Awards during WHC Connect, the organization’s first virtual conference, held online October 6-7. The WHC Awards honor excellence in corporate conservation; recipients include both national and international companies across a variety of industry sectors.

This year’s top awards, signifying leadership in conservation, were won by CEMEX, DTE Energy and Fidelity Investments, and were based on applications submitted between July 16, 2019 and December 31, 2019.

New this year, WHC presented the first ever Ibis Award to Bacardi for its work at its facility in Jacksonville. The Ibis Award recognizes a WHC-Certified program that has demonstrated resiliency of spirit and advancement of conservation despite shutdowns, quarantines and changes in the workplace. This award was based on applications submitted between January 1, 2020 and July 15, 2020.

“We’re honored to recognize the outstanding achievements of WHC members, including Bacardi, CEMEX, DTE Energy and Fidelity Investments,” said Margaret O’Gorman, President, WHC. “The companies, programs and employees around the world we salute with WHC Awards represent the importance of nature-based solutions on corporate lands. These solutions are vital to solve the biodiversity and climate crises and our members are at the forefront of this challenge.”

CEMEX received the 2020 WHC Corporate Conservation Leadership Award. The Corporate Conservation Leadership Award honors one company’s overall achievement in conservation efforts, and signifies an exemplary level of corporate commitment to biodiversity and conservation education, and meaningful alignments with global conservation objectives.

The Employee Engagement Award, given to DTE Energy, recognizes a company’s involvement in conservation through the sheer force of its employee teams who participate in its habitat and conservation education activities.

Fidelity Investments received the Gold Tier Program Award, which honors the overall conservation depth of one exceptional program, for its conservation efforts at the Fidelity Investments facility in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Smithfield was also awarded the 2020 WHC Forests Project Award.

Projects are recognized for excellence in each of the WHC Project Guidance themes. This category offers projects of all sizes the ability to compete for recognition. Learn more about the Project Award criteria here.

CEMEX was the year’s most honored company, picking up four awards in the following categories: Corporate Conservation Leadership Award, Awareness & Engagement (Huichapan “Cerro Pardo” y “Puzolana,” Mexico), Deserts (El Carmen Nature Reserve, Mexico), and Landscaped (Ready Mix USA, Alabama).

The following is a complete list of 2020 WHC Award Winners:

WHC Corporate Conservation Leadership Award
CEMEX

WHC Employee Engagement Award
DTE Energy

WHC Gold Program Award
Fidelity Investments Smithfield, Rhode Island

WHC Ibis Award
Bacardi Bottling Corporation  |  Jacksonville, FL         

WHC Avian Project Award
Muskegon County Wastewater Management System, Muskegon County Wastewater Facility  |  Muskegon, Michigan, U.S.A.

WHC Awareness & Engagement Project Award
CEMEX, Huichapan “Cerro Pardo” y “Puzolana”  |  Huichapan, Hidalgo, Mexico

WHC Bats Project Award
Argos USA, Argos Newberry Plant   |   Newberry, Florida, U.S.A.

WHC Deserts Project Award
CEMEX, El Carmen Nature Reserve   |   Coahuila, Mexico

WHC Forests Project Award
Fidelity Investments, Smithfield   |   Smithfield, Rhode Island, U.S.A.

WHC Formal Learning Project Award
Benjamin Moore, Pell City   |    Pell City, Alabama, U.S.A.

WHC Grasslands Project Award
Waste Management, Kirby Canyon Recycling and Disposal Facility  |   Morgan Hill, California, U.S.A.

WHC Invasive Species Project Award
Toyota, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas   |   San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A.

WHC Landscaped Project Award
CEMEX, Ready Mix USA   |   Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.A.

WHC Mammals Project Award
MEG Energy, Christina Lake Regional Project   |   Alberta, Canada

WHC Other Habitats Project Award
Vulcan Materials, Cajon Creek Habitat Conservation Area   |   Glendale, California, U.S.A.

WHC Pollinators Project Award
Albemarle, Kings Mountain Pollinator Habitat   |   Kings Mountain, North Carolina, U.S.A.

WHC Reptiles & Amphibians Project Award
Waste Management, West Carleton Environmental Centre   |   Ottawa, Canada

WHC Rocky Areas Project Award
Exelon, R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Station   |   Ontario, New York, U.S.A.

WHC Species of Concern Project Award
Waste Management, Kirby Canyon Recycling and Disposal Facility   |   Morgan Hill, California, U.S.A.

WHC Wetlands & Water Bodies Project Award
Exelon, Gwynedd Stream Rehabilitation and Protection Project   |   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

Award finalists and winners were chosen from Conservation Certification applications submitted from July 16, 2019 – December 31, 2019 that were granted certification. Information on award criteria can be found here.

It’s Time to Invest in Nature-Based Solutions to Solve the Biodiversity and Climate Crises

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At this summer’s Oxford University Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) Digital Dialogues , a conversation between top scientists in the field took a deeper dive into the opportunities and hazards of NbS to address climate change. This timely conversation highlighted how we as policy makers, corporate leaders, environmentalists and the general public gravitate towards simple solutions and prefer to adopt cures that require the least of us. The conversation also shone a light on the danger of assuming that climate change can be addressed with NbS and without decarbonization of the world’s economy. A video of the dialogue can be found here and the 90-minute investment of time is well worth it for those seeking a deeper knowledge of the issue, the possibilities and the challenges.

The private sector’s embrace of NbS to address climate change is of specific interest to the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) and its members who span the value chain. With the support of ArcelorMittal, WHC has been engaged in a year-long exploration of how and where the private sector can use its own lands for climate change mitigation and adaptation. The exploration started with a simple question that was based on an ongoing frustration about the disparity between corporate action on climate and corporate action on biodiversity.

Could the private sector be persuaded to adopt NbS on its own lands for climate mitigation and adaptation purposes and in so doing generate uplift for biodiversity at the same time?

They should, considering the facts. The World Economic Forum Global Risks Reports have positioned biodiversity collapse on its risk matrix of highly likely and highly impactful events beside climate change for the past three years. According to an IPBES report,the loss of pollinators alone will cost the annual global economy between $235 billion and $577 billion which, as an example, is the same/more than the market capitalization of General Motors, Toyota, Ford and FCA combined.

Despite this, the biodiversity crisis receives less than 8 times less media coverage  and nature-based solutions receive only 3% of climate finance. In addition, while the private sector has embraced the concept of responsibility for its scope three emissions for carbon by setting carbon reduction goals for the impacts of their products along the supply chain, it has not done the same with biodiversity where impacts and ‘materiality’ remain narrowly defined.  This dichotomy in the definition of materiality was the main subject of my State of Corporate Conservation address in 2019.

Given the lack of investment in the biodiversity crisis and the focus on climate change by the corporate sector, it makes sense that NbS is an attractive solution as biodiversity benefit can —with a well-designed project— be gained from climate action. Like a parent hiding vegetables in a kid’s meal or a veterinarian administering pills wrapped in peanut butter to a wary animal, nature can be slyly mainstreamed into operations as a climate solution with caveats on scale and impact.

For the agricultural and forestry sectors the potential of NbS for climate, or Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) is the most significant – where reversing deforestation in the tropics and removing land from inefficient uses are two powerful actions that need to be taken. But for other industries not engaged in extracting value from the top 3 feet of the lithosphere, opportunities abound to take some climate action using nature. These local or site-based opportunities can result in meaningful outcomes for climate, biodiversity, employees and community members. The human dimension aspect of site-based NCS can be a powerful driver to engage stakeholders in acts that are positive, practical and personal.

There are many options for private sector engagement in NCS for both climate mitigation (reduce GHG) and climate adaptation.

A few of the easiest options are:

  • Invest in soil health: From a corporate campus to a factory or a mine site, the private sector has significant amounts of soil under its control, most of it degraded from operations or lands management. Globally, soils have a potential to sequester 5.5 G/t Co2/year mostly from better managed croplands and grasslands, but all soils will sequester more carbon when managed to do so.
  • Make smart forestry decisions: The focus on reforestation and afforestation for carbon sequestration is driving a “gold rush” as companies race to adopt ambitious forestry targets with little of the nuance needed to support them. Monoculture commodity forestry done for a speedy and financial return at the expense of native and diverse forests represent a backward step and a maladaptive practice. The identification of “marginal” lands for forestry projects risks displacing indigenous people and subsistence farmers. Smart forestry decisions include looking at a company’s own lands and exploring how it can contribute to the health of the local watershed or ecosystem, to the local community or the a municipal or regional canopy goal.
  • Connect across the fence-line: A manufacturing site or a storage facility can be the biggest risk item in a community’s review of its resilience against climate-related weather events. Green infrastructure designed to absorb storm surges, natural buffers designed to protect structures, softened shorelines that can accept rising sea-levels, and ecologically adaptive landscapes can all lessen the burden on communities that are most at risk of climate-related events.
  • Integrate NbS with SDGs and other corporate commitments: We need an “all of the above” approach to the twin environmental crises of climate change and biodiversityfacing our planet and we need to design solutions that will also address inequities in health, education and access to resources. The power of the SDGs is in the recognition that all our global challenges are interconnected, and that maladaptation is a real concern when one solution is promoted above all others. By considering how NbS can integrate into the SDGs, multiple benefits are realized and maladaptation is avoided. In a recently published WHC white paper, we found many points of integration between corporate conservation action and the SDGs.
  • Mainstream nature into operations: An environmental management system that views nature as a tool instead of something to be “dealt with” could change lands management across all corporate landholdings and cause biodiversity to be mainstreamed. By adopting a “with nature” approach, a specific operation can assess its nature needs and opportunities, and the company as a whole can show that it is acting for the planet on its own premises.

Beyond these simple options there are of course offsets and markets and green bonds and all types of other sophisticated mechanisms that deploy nature for climate change. But, at the end of the pragmatic spectrum where implementation occurs, corporate action with NbS/NCS should adopt three tenets: (1) that either/or is not an option, (2) that all NbS action should be beyond compliance, and (3) that biodiversity should be designed into all NbS efforts. As Pete Smith from the University of Aberdeen said at the Digital Dialogues, “The land as a whole has a vital role to play in climate change.” It’s up to the private sector, its stakeholders and shareholders to deploy it in the right way.

Read more WHC blogs.

Wildlife Habitat Council Receives U.S. Forest Service Funding to Support Urban and Community Forestry Partnerships

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SILVER SPRING, MD, September 8, 2020 – Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) was awarded a grant from the USDA Forest Service as part of its 2020 Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant Program.

This grant will fund WHC’s new initiative, Across Fence Lines: Connecting Corporate America to Communities through Public-Private Forestry Programs. The initiative will focus on a best-in-class approach connecting corporate conservation, urban forestry groups, community members/leaders and employees to local, state and national canopy and forestry goals, addressing local resiliency challenges and providing workforce development opportunities and biodiversity uplift.

“With the support of U.S. Forest Service, we will be able to fill a significant resource gap to better connect the private sector to community forestry initiatives,” said Margaret O’Gorman, President, WHC. “This program also addresses the specific needs of high potential communities where impactful industries are historically located.”

The program will draw on existing community forestry efforts and WHC’s more than three decades of experience connecting corporate and community groups for voluntary conservation efforts Across Fence Lines is the latest of our on-the-ground efforts to bring about tangible, climate change adaptation actions to urban-industrial communities. New urban forestry connections will also contribute knowledge to the project.

WHC will partner with corporations such as Praxair, NiSource, Arcelor Mittal, Freeport McMoRan, FCA and Marathon Petroleum to study existing corporate community forestry efforts and design new connections. WHC will engage Davey Institute, Student Conservation Association and the Greening of Detroit as knowledge partners to help identify best practices and consider the unique challenges and opportunities of working in urban-industrial lands.

Other recipients of the 2020 National Urban and Community Forestry Grants for Creating and Enhancing Resilient Urban and Community Forests: University of Maryland, North Carolina State University, Sustainable Resources Institute/Urban Wood Network, University of Tennessee, The Giving Grove.

For more information about how WHC can help support a wide spectrum of corporate conservation activities please contact whcconsulting@wildlifehc.org.

About Wildlife Habitat Council

For 30 years, WHC has been promoting and certifying ecological stewardship action on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since only 10-15% of the world’s land surface is protected, private lands provide an essential opportunity for restoring and protecting biodiversity. As the only international conservation NGO focused exclusively on the private sector, WHC provides a framework for voluntary conservation action on a wide variety of corporate lands. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries.

About the Grant

https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/urban-forests/ucf/2020-nufrigp

New White Paper Small Scales, Big Impacts

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SILVER SPRING, MD, August 26, 2020 – Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) offers a new white paper available for download today, Small Scales, Big Impacts – How conservation makes positive impacts for biodiversity and community awareness despite limitations related to the amount of land, number of employees or the size of managed species. The white paper is sponsored by Toyota North America and is available for free on our website.

In traditional conservation models, large budgets are considered essential for  significant conservation outcomes. This theory also requires large workforces to support meaningful employee or community engagement efforts. However, creative thinking and a working knowledge of conservation context can challenge these notions by enabling projects with positive biodiversity and business outcomes with realistic budget and personnel requirements.

This white paper explores what it means to work on a small scale for a big impact for nature. Highlighted projects show that healthy and productive habitats can be managed with small budgets, teams, land or species, including:

Argos: Newberry Plant
Aristeo Construction: Detroit Headquarters
CRH Americas: Acton Quarry
Exelon: Quad Cities Generation Station
Freeport-McMoRan: Port Nickel
General Motors: Lockport Facility
ITC: ITC Iowa City Warehouse
Phillips 66: Habitat and Conservation Education Initiative

Sponsored by Toyota North America, this white paper includes a forward by Kevin Butt Senior Director, Environmental Sustainability, in which he states, “Toyota’s Challenge 2050 seeks to establish a future society in harmony with nature. To do this, we are committing to planting forests around factories and connecting nature conservation to the education of children. Both of these approaches can be done at scale, at small sites and at locations with restricted access, limited land or challenging conditions. Both of these approaches wield results that are not constrained by the scale of the effort.”

About Wildlife Habitat Council:
For 30 years, WHC has been promoting and certifying ecological stewardship action on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since only 10-15% of the world’s land surface is protected, private lands provide an essential opportunity for restoring and protecting biodiversity. As the only international conservation NGO focused exclusively on the private sector, WHC provides a framework for voluntary conservation action on a wide variety of corporate lands. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries.