Nature Restoration Plan Guide for Renewable Energy Facilities – EnvironmentJournal

The joint effort between Foresight Group and the Eden project means sharing expertise in ecological assessments and climate-smart land use.

The Nature Recovery Plan was launched in May 2024 and provides guidance on standard-setting programs that benefit the environment. The guide is addressed to developers, asset managers, operators and facility managers.

“The handbook enables land managers to take practical steps to increase biodiversity and restore nature on their farms. When it comes to biodiversity, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We hope the guide will provide greater visibility and access to existing environmentally positive initiatives for our industry partners to benefit from,” Ross Driver, Managing Director of Foresight’s Solar Fund Limited (FSFL).

You can access the guide here.

As part of an initiative by the Foresight Group and the Eden Project, and in cooperation with Natural England, 20 people from the public and private sectors created an important habitat for the lobe butterfly. This species is considered endangered, but we hope that after planting over 600 devil’s manga (Succisa pratensis), which are the main source of food for the insects, the number of individuals in the area will begin to increase.

“The sagebrush butterfly is a significant feature of the Mid Cornish moorland area of ​​special scientific interest,” said Cerin Poland, principal advisor at Natural England. “Projects like these not only support endangered species, but also contribute to the overall health and resilience of our ecosystems.”

Butterflies play a particularly key role in biodiversity analysis. Considered as “key bioindicators,” population size reflects the overall health of the immediate environment. This means that a sustainable recovery will also depend on, and be a measure of, broader environmental protection efforts.

“The Nature Recovery Blueprint, a collaboration with the Eden project, illustrates the key role that companies like Foresight play in enriching and revitalizing biodiversity. The solar case study provides a powerful example of the interconnections between the energy transition, climate change and the harmonious coexistence of nature and progress,” said Lily Billings, Group Sustainability Manager, Foresight.

You can watch a video about the Foresight Group’s nature restoration plan below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijQxvxtkgo

More on biodiversity:

Kent Woodland Project employs bison as ‘ecosystem engineers’

How county councils develop Local Environmental Improvement Plans frameworks

National Highways is launching a major biodiversity mapping project

Picture: Gilles San Martin