"Through inventories, we get a better basis for decision-making and can in a more strategic way make efforts where they are most useful and actually increase biodiversity on campus for real," says Erik Florman. Head of Sustainability at Akademiska Hus.
A global fate issue
Biodiversity has become a crucial issue on the global agenda. According to the UN's Scientific Panel on Biological Diversity, IPBES, one million species are at risk of extinction within the coming decades if we do not drastically change how we use nature's resources. In 2022, the countries of the world therefore gathered in Montreal and agreed on a historic framework — the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework — where the goal is to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2030 and restore nature by 2050.
But strong efforts are also needed at national and local level. The state's ownership policy for state-owned companies clarifies that "The companies shall work to avoid negative impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity and work to preserve and strengthen natural capital".
Great opportunity to influence
Akademiska Hus is one of Sweden's largest property owners with an area of approximately 3.4 million square meters. But we are also a large park manager, with a land area of about 8 million square meters.
Our outdoor environments should be an asset for everyone who spends time there, and through greenery and nature, we create the conditions for a stress-relieving and performance-enhancing environment where people thrive and feel good, while at the same time having positive effects on animals and vegetation.
"For example, there are trees such as maple and ash, which are old and important for biodiversity. Especially since we are in the middle of the central parts of a larger city like Gothenburg, and the values that exist here are extra important to protect," says Moa Berglund, ecologist at Ecogain.
Moa Berglund, ecologist at Ecogain – an environmental consultancy specialising in biodiversity – is one of the experts contributing with on-site surveys and field data analysis, here at the Näckrosen university campus in Gothenburg.
A conservation value inventory follows a special standard and divides an area into different zones, depending on the species richness and biotope qualities that exist. With fairly small means, you can get to grips with a lot, says Moa.
"Creating meadow land instead of hard-mowed lawns is one such example," says Moa. Then we can quickly attract a greater diversity of insects, such as wild bees and butterflies.
IPBES, which is the UN's scientific expert panel on biodiversity and ecosystem services, highlights the reduction of pollinators as a particularly critical part of ecosystem health. It threatens not only biodiversity, but also global food security.
Increased pressure and new regulations
Interest in biodiversity is now increasing rapidly in the business community, not least driven by new global regulations and reporting requirements. Initiatives such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the EU's Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) mean that companies must increasingly map and report on their nature-impacting activities.
"We are definitely noticing an increased interest from our customers," says Moa Berglund.
For a real estate company, Moa Berglund believes that there may be other points than the purely ecological ones to get the data that the inventories provide. When it comes to building new, i.e. exploiting new land, some form of nature value inventory is usually required anyway. That's why it's better to have the facts on the table right from the start," says Moa Berglund.
"Then you know at an early stage which paths are possible to take without it having too great consequences.
On the right track - together with higher education institutions
So far, Akademiska Hus has inventoried a large part of its property areas and the goal is to have mapped the degree of biodiversity on all campuses, in all 15 locations in which we operate, by 2026. Although some work remains to be done, it can already be stated that there are great ecological values to protect and develop in knowledge environments for the future. r universities and colleges in Sweden.
"Based on the data we have received so far, we see that many of our campuses consist of land that has high values. We can also state that the efforts we make together with our customers on campus can make a big difference, which feels very positive and we are on the right track," says Sara Karlsson, Strategic Property Developer for Outdoor Environments. Akademiska Hus.
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