Business & Biodiversity Charter | Business in the Community NI

Business in the Community, in partnership with Ulster Wildlife, provides the Business and Biodiversity Charter – a framework for businesses to engage with biodiversity.

The Charter is based around a staged approach, and is applicable to all organisations from micro-businesses to large facilities owned by multi-national companies. In order to successfully determine an organisation’s level of achievement within the Charter, participants will need to demonstrate how they meet each level – Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

The aims of the Biodiversity Charter are to:

  • Provide a framework for organisations of all sizes to address their impact on biodiversity, not only in terms of land-holding management but also in relation to their activities, products and services
  • Provide a mechanism for third-party recognition of organisations’ biodiversity management
  • Give employees the capacity to undertake biodiversity-related actions at home, and in their communities outside work
  • Enable employees to gain the health and wellbeing benefits associated with green space/biodiversity activities
  • Foster links between environmental organisations, business and the community

The Charter helps businesses implement biodiversity initiatives, and provides third party recognition of achievement.

The Charter is awarded at four levels according to the progress of participating companies: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Each level has a range of requirements (both compulsory and optional depending on the level). The following sections set out the requirements of the Charter in more detail.

Implementation

On agreement to participate in the Charter, BITC will provide the participating company with all relevant documentation and will arrange to meet with the appropriate representative to introduce the Charter materials and to provide initial guidance.

Participating companies may receive a non-technical site review visit by Ulster Wildlife (this could take up to one day), which will aim to assist with identifying future site management and other related opportunities, in line with meeting the Charter requirements.

Assessment

Following the implementation period, the participating company should prepare an application.

BITC will then agree a suitable date for assessment. Following successful assessment, the company will be presented with a certificate recognising the level of award.

An award will be valid for a period of 36 months, following which re-assessment will be required (or at any time before this, should the company wish to be assessed again against a higher level of award).

Organisations that have achieved the Charter:

Resources

If you would like to discuss how your organisation can achieve the Business & Biodiversity Charter, please contact: environment@bitcni.org.uk.