Background

As a Trust Port, it reinvests commercial revenues into the long-term benefit of the Harbour Estate, local economy and environment. The organisation manages a 2,000-acre estate and is one of Northern Ireland’s largest landowners, with stewardship responsibilities for habitats and species of significant ecological importance.

Sustainability and biodiversity are embedded within the organisation’s long-term strategy and decision-making processes. Biodiversity considerations are incorporated into all major projects and developments, while the 2025-2029 corporate strategy positions environmental stewardship, nature recovery and climate resilience as core priorities. The organisation’s longstanding commitment is demonstrated through more than 25 years of participation in Business in the Community’s Environmental Benchmarking Survey, including 17 consecutive years at Platinum standard, alongside Platinum accreditation under the Business and Biodiversity Charter.

What Belfast Harbour did

Recognising the ecological significance of its estate, Belfast Harbour developed a comprehensive biodiversity programme focused on habitat restoration, species recovery, partnership working and long-term environmental stewardship. The estate contains 12 of Northern Ireland’s priority habitats and supports 77 priority species, with areas located within or adjacent to internationally important conservation designations including Belfast Lough Ramsar Site and Belfast Lough Special Protection Area.

The organisation established six designated terrestrial nature recovery sites covering 125 acres and actively manages habitats through measures such as grazing, cutting regimes, wetland creation and species monitoring. Key locations include the Window on Wildlife reserve, which provides managed wetland habitat and nesting islands for breeding terns and wintering waders, alongside woodland, coastal grassland and river corridor habitats across the estate.

Belfast Harbour has also pioneered marine biodiversity initiatives through partnerships with organisations including Ulster Wildlife, RSPB, Ulster University and specialist consultants. It helped establish Northern Ireland’s first native oyster nursery within a commercial port and is delivering oyster reef restoration in Belfast Lough through the BRICONS programme. In addition, it is a partner in the €9.6 million Coastal Monitoring and Adaptation Programme (CMAP), which will create an Urban Marine Hub focused on restoring saltmarsh, seagrass and shellfish habitats.

To strengthen evidence-based management, Belfast Harbour deployed LiDAR technology to create a detailed digital twin of the Harbour Estate, supporting habitat management, biodiversity monitoring and climate adaptation planning. It also transformed a former car park into City Quays Gardens, Northern Ireland’s first public space designed using the One Planet Living framework, creating accessible green habitat within a busy urban environment. Biodiversity outcomes are embedded within the organisation’s 2050 Masterplan to ensure nature recovery remains central to future development.

Key Impacts and Results

• Supports 12 of Northern Ireland’s 51 priority habitats and 77 of its 481 priority species across the Belfast Harbour estate
• Established 125 acres of formally designated terrestrial nature recovery sites across six actively managed locations
• LiDAR surveys identified 33,815 trees across 45.5 hectares of vegetated land, sequestering an estimated 394 tonnes of carbon annually
• Delivered Northern Ireland’s first native oyster nursery within a commercial port and introduced 2,000 adult oysters and 20,000 oyster spat to Belfast Lough to restore lost reef habitat
• Created City Quays Gardens, transforming a former car park into two acres of accessible green habitat and Northern Ireland’s first One Planet Living public space
• Secured involvement in the €9.6 million CMAP programme, supporting restoration of saltmarsh, seagrass and shellfish habitats through a new Urban Marine Hub
• Achieved 17 consecutive years of Platinum standard in Business in the Community’s Environmental Benchmarking Survey and holds Platinum accreditation under the Business and Biodiversity Charter

What the judges said:

“Belfast Harbour demonstrated an ongoing commitment to enhancing biodiversity across their commercially active port, with 125 acres of land set aside for nature restoration, including creation of green spaces in urban setting and restoration of marine and coastal habitats. There is commitment at all levels of the organisation and it is developing and establishing a range of partnerships to enhance biodiversity and inspire others to take action.”