A Momentum for Biodiversity is coming.

We (companies) are at a time for #Biodiversity where we where for #Climate about 3 years ago. A momentum is on its way for Biodiversity, but it is much more complex that for the climate. It exists a large landscape of varied and complementary tools. But still today, Biodiversity has a measurement problem.

Carbon is one molecule and is the same everywhere in the world. The Carbon molecule in Paris is the same than a carbon molecule in Sydney, Rio or in NYC. Biodiversity is all life on earth, and, all interconnexions between all forms of lifes. It is, as wrotten, complex and interconnected, and it is different in every single place.

A lot of tools to measure biodiversity footprint exist (an association called RECORD - Recherche coopérative en environnement et économie circulaire has produced a report this year together with the consultancy firm UTOPIES , and they classified those tools by area where they can be used – at a site level, at a project level, for a defined geographical zone,etc.)... it it complex.

We do need simple metrics, but those metrics need to encapsulate the complexity of Biodiversity. We need to have a #bigdata approach to measure Biodiversity. Which means from a company to be able to collect all these data and to aggregate them.

We would ideally need to have access to an international harmonized datalack with all biodiversity data in it. Today, we assess and monitor the carbon, and we are all looking for the best metrics to measure biodiversity. I believe that we would rather need a #systemic approach, I mean, a systemic evaluation for Carbone and Biodiversity. Because sometimes by working on carbone reduction actions, you will have a negative impact on biodiversity, and the other way around can also be right too.

In a group such as Groupe Bouygues (200?000 employees - 80 countries – in different sectors : construction, real estate, media, telecommunication, and energy), we are of course following a lot of regulation to protect Biodiversity. But we can go further.

Let's take one example in the real estate/construction area which is one of the main responsible for biodiversity collapse through the 1st pression on Nature : Land use and Habitat fragmentation (accoridng to IPBES ) . But before that, do you know how many acres per hour are artificialized in Europ ? 11 ! (Thank you Elsa Bortuzzo for this figure that is shown during the workshop La Fresque de l'Economie Circulaire ).

So, Bouygues Immobilier - Immobilier d'Entreprise France , together with biodiversity experts and members of the International Council For Biodiversity and Real Estate ( IBPC - International Biodivercity Properties Council ), have created what has been called “une calculette biodiversity”, a Biodiversity calculator, which enables to calculate the CBS (understand : the "amont" of biodiversity) for each project : before and after the project. The goal here is to have Nature positive projects (2025 target is a minimum 25% of projects in Biodiversity positive), meaning that there is more nature on a site after the company has taken the project than before. And also, we believe that by having this kind of leadership which are quite disruptive, we can also influence our peers and also spread new ideas in our value chain to protect biodiversity.

Even if we already do a lot for Biodiversity, we can go much more further. It is still a quite new topic for most of the companies. So, what are the challenges to integrate biodiversity considerations ? What are the solutions to monitor and minimize biodiversity loss and land use change ?

Our first challenges today is to clearly understand our relationship with Biodiversity all along our value chain, and then of course, the?data collect process.

Therefore : Our Strategy is first, to be able to have the state of art in a matter of B in the Group (what do we already have/have done, with what ressources, next needs, etc.) and to aggregate all those info.

Secondly, it is to make a diagnostic for each business unit (In order to act, we need to have a clear vision on where are the main pressions we excerce / and also what are our main dependencies). This will drive us to define key priorities and actions plan with accurate science based indicators, and trajectories to reduce and mitigate all those risks.

We have a clear vision of the next steps. Also, now about governance now : a transverse working group exists since 2021 and a strategic transverse committee mixing both topics: climate and biodiversity.

We are a big group and we want to raise awareness on this topic, such as we did for the climate. Several of our business lines have already increased the number of biodiversity experts in their teams, a MOOC about Biodiversity (created by ENGAGE association and that we supported in this project) has been offered to all of our employees, and the workshop Biodiversity Fresk has been launched also in some of the companies of the Group.

Operationnaly speaking now : The Group already does a lot. Just few examples :

-??????The "Calculette Biodiversité" already mentioned at Bouygues Immobilier - Immobilier d'Entreprise France : in this case, buildings can become an opportunity for Biodiversity (Green roofs, green fa?ades, productive gardens…)

-??????At COLAS : rare species birds protection in quarries / restauration of habitats / Expanding team in ecological engineering

-??????At Bouygues Construction : internal Label called TOP Site (which includes Biodiversity criteria on worksites in France and abroad)

This was about actions, but what is important too to #education and #sensitization: for that TF1 offers a dedicated channel about Nature : Ushua?a TV

Two external WG we are taken part of, are also interesting to mention :

IBPC - International Biodivercity Properties Council : as co-founder and member for two of our companies

Biodiversity Impulsion Group - BIG : a collation of actors from the #realestate and #construction sectors, working together on Biodiversity measurements in their sector. Bouygues Immobilier is a member since its started one year ago.

Also, we will have people from the company present at #COP15 in Montréal.?So, later this year, let’s hope that an international and very ambitious framework and consensus for Biodiversity will born from it, because we urgently need what I would call “A Paris Agreement for Biodiversity” !