BAM is founding signatory of ‘Nature Positive’ framework to materially reduce impact on nature

London, 3 March 2023 - BAM UK & Ireland is a founding signatory of the Nature Positive Business Pledge, a new framework designed to support businesses to act on biodiversity loss and contribute towards nature restoration.

Developed by a partnership of the UK Business & Biodiversity Forum, IEMA, RSPB, WSP, the Aldersgate Group and ICC United Kingdom. The commitment follows the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15), which took place in December 2022 and concluded with a landmark agreement to ‘halt and reverse’ biodiversity loss by the end of the decade.

The Pledge launches with signatories from major organisations including BAM, South Western Railway, WSP and RSPB.

Signatories are expected to develop a Nature Positive Plan which includes undertaking a materiality assessment to identify where and how the organisation depends on and impacts nature; identifying a nature baseline and assessing their impact on nature relative to this baseline; and setting SMART and costed targets to address the business dependencies and impacts on nature.

Member organisations will then annually assess progress and submit a report. This will be guided by the Pledge’s core principles which centre around applying the mitigation hierarchy to all facets of the business, generating long-term benefits for nature, seeking to achieve net gain or net positive outcomes, and assuming a worst case impact on nature scenario where there is lack of evidence or information.

Gaelle Bardsley, Biodiversity and Climate Adaptation Lead, BAM UK & Ireland, said: ‘Protecting and enhancing the UK and Ireland’s biodiversity is really important to BAM and that’s why we have made it one of the key focus areas in our new sustainability strategy. The Nature Positive Business Pledge reflects our commitment to mitigate our impact on nature and help our supply chain to do the same, and we are proud to be one of the first UK Contractors to sign it. This pledge is our commitment to drive action, set SMART targets and track our progress on our journey to become nature positive.’

Mark Johnston, Chair and Director of the UK Business & Biodiversity Forum, said: ‘Transformative and collective action is urgently needed to reverse the loss of biodiversity. Businesses play a critical role in making this happen, and this Nature Positive Business Pledge provides the necessary clarity on what is needed.’

Sarah Mukherjee MBE, Chief Executive Officer, IEMA said: ‘Establishing the Nature Positive Business Pledge could not come at a more critical time as businesses both domestically and internationally set about implementing what was agreed at COP15. By providing a practical approach, the initiative will place businesses on the front foot in terms of playing their role in reducing biodiversity loss and working towards nature restoration.’