How does Sweco help its customers safe biodiversity?
We take biodiversity into account in every customer project. The in-depth biodiversity expertise of our experts is reflected in our services, from strategies to concrete plans and implementation. We provide comprehensive expertise to integrate biodiversity at every level of planning, contributing to sustainable development and responsible business.
Biodiversity starts with the strategy
At Sweco we do not consider taking biodiversity into account to be just a checklist for projects, but their starting point. We help our customers and partners take biodiversity into account in all areas of their business and at every stage of the value chain.
We implement extensive biodiversity strategies in which we consider how business activities could add value to both the economy and nature. This is how we manage the business risks caused by biodiversity loss and promote environmentally friendly business models.
We also support our customers in the practical implementation of projects to achieve biodiversity goals. Strategic goals can only become concrete when each project is purposefully managed accordingly. For this purpose, we have developed a sustainability management process in which biodiversity and other environmental targets are entered into our digital situational awareness tool for monitoring and implementation.
Biodiversity is supported by cross-sectoral cooperation
Biodiversity is supported by cross-sectoral cooperation
We believe that biodiversity should be part of every project in the built environment and industry. Biodiversity is vital for our well-being and the sustainable development of societies from the point of view of the environment, people and the economy. Nature provides us with both the raw materials needed for our economic growth and the prerequisites for maintaining our health.
In strengthening biodiversity, our work emphasises cooperation between experts from different fields, which enables the development of new solutions in a way that maintains nature, continuous learning and benefits for our customers and society.
For example, in urban planning, teamwork is highly multidisciplinary:
Biologists and ecologists are increasingly involved in urban and infrastructure planning with planners, transport planners, energy experts and architects. Our landscape designers work closely with experts in climate resilience, nature and water areas to ensure that the end result highlights the potential of diverse nature.
Biodiversity is at the heart of urban planning
Increasing urban biodiversity has a significant impact not only on combating climate change, but also on human health and well-being. Sweco’s urban planners ensure that urban structures take into account the area’s natural characteristics and ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, pollination and air purity. These perspectives play a key role already in the early stages of the project’s land use planning.
We take into account green areas, such as parks and forest areas, in order to provide habitats for different plant and animal species, as well as places for cooling and recreation for city residents. Nature-based solutions also mitigate the challenges posed by extreme weather phenomena caused by climate change, such as heavy rainfall and heat waves.
The development of Sustainable transport is always at the core of our projects, which make it easy to strengthen nature-based solutions and maintain the natural environment as part of the urban infrastructure.
State-of-the-art technology supports diversity work
We have developed a new biodiversity tool that helps take biodiversity into account in urban planning and industrial areas. It allows us to map the level of biodiversity before and after the project.
Marko Takala
Environment and biodiversityLaila Huovinen-Manu
Environmental management, biodiversity, EIA and environmental permit procedureJenny Asanti
Landscape DesignPiia Pessala
Strategic planning