ACO launches 'Habitat Matters' with collaborators

ACO, along with a collaboration of 60 partners and supporters have launched a new campaign called ‘Habitat Matters’ which aims to explore the challenges we face in creating, maintaining and improving natural habitat in the built environment as we lead up to COP26 and beyond. Through a series of webinars and podcasts, the programme aims to discuss the way in which the construction industry can better protect biodiversity and habitats in the UK.

In May 2019 the UK Government declared an environmental and climate emergency. In more recent times the government has started to increase the protection status of hedgehogs and other species. With over 41% of species declining in the UK, it's never been more important to protect the UK's biodiversity and habitats to prevent future loss.

The “Habitat Matters” campaign will highlight how we must change our approach as an industry to create long term solutions to protect and preserve natural habitats, and importantly, encourage the integration of habitats within the built environment.  

Aligned with the COP26 Nature Campaign, and COP15 the convention on biological diversity, the series of webinars brings together partner organisations, industry leaders and government representatives to discuss a variety of topics, including environmental policies and guidance, natural solutions, and how the UK population can engage in biodiversity conversations and make a difference.

The Habitat Matters webinar series will be on the dates below with further podcasts to be announced shortly.

Webinar schedule and subjects (click to find out more);
29th July - How have we COP to this
12th August - Habitat and species conservation
26th August - Future cities encompassing natural systems
10th September - Habitat connectivity
24th September - Healthy connection to habitat
8th October - Habitat by design
21st October - Design & management of high quality green spaces
28th October - Habitat matters at COP26
 

Adam Cane, Sustainability Lead at ACO Water Management, commented:

We are incredibly excited to be working collaboratively to launch this webinar and podcast series focusing on conservation and what the construction industry must do to protect the environment.

The catastrophic events we are seeing across the world and the release of the Dasgupta Report means that the impact of human-induced climate change and biodiversity collapse is beyond doubt. Bringing the importance of COP15 and COP26 into sharp focus, the time we have left to act is closing in on us and we all have a responsibility to act, whether that be from a personal perspective or as a business.

I am proud to be part of this campaign leading up to COP26 and beyond. The construction industry has a significant responsibility to protect biodiversity, and the series has been designed to offer insight from some of the industry’s leading voices. My hope is that it also inspires the change that is required to protect the UK’s habitats.

The series includes fifteen events which will be broadcast online leading our audience across the length and breadth of the country, leading up to COP26 in Glasgow.

Webinar: How have we COP to this?
The first webinar “How have we COP to this?”, will take place on Thursday 29th July  at 12:30pm. We will look at the threat to biodiversity as the built environment continues to threaten and even completely destroy crucial habitats.  Specifically we will look at aspects addressing the challenges in the built environment for habitats, how people can make a difference in lobbying for legislation to assist nature’s recovery, and in particular the challenge of delivering standards for biodiversity mitigation in the built environment.