Encouraging Biodiversity

The earth depends upon a network of complex interactions between plants, animals, and micro-organisms to properly function. This biodiversity is essential to support all life on our planet.

Biodiversity is our ally in the battle to limit the effects of climate change too. Healthy ecosystems might provide 37% of the mitigation needed to limit global temperature rises, and 25% of the globe's greenhouse gas emissions come from land clearance, crop production, and fertilisation (source: UN).

Whilst we are becoming more and more aware of the impact of climate change on our environment and its inhabitants, we're also conscious of the effects our business activities have too.

That's why the second initiative in our One Planet Strategy focuses on biodiversity and our commitments to ensuring a healthy ecosystem for the future.

We've pledged to:

• Protect a biodiversity rich area equivalent to five times the size of our physical global operational area by 2025
• Deliver biodiversity net gain of +10% for all new manufacturing sites and facilities
• Deliver at least one biodiversity improvement per Operating Company, on site or in the local community by 2025
• Manage our manufacturing operations to minimise risks to biodiversity, ensuring necessary controls are in place to mitigate risk

The first of these takes us to the plains of Patagonia, an area which Darwin described as if "there appears no limit to their duration through future time."

Unfortunately, that's not the case. A combination of unsustainable land use, affecting the local water courses, and the introduction of invasive species has placed the unique flora and fauna on the brink of extinction.

We've partnered with World Land Trust (WLT) and their 'Buy an Acre' scheme. This groundbreaking programme allows individuals, and companies, to fund the purchase and protection of threatened habitat in various locations around the world. WLT’s local conservation partners are the custodians of the land, doing everything possible to protect the habitat for indigenous wildlife.

At the end of 2020, Spirax Sarco Engineering safeguarded 517 acres of land in the Somuncurá Plateau, Argentina. We’re committed to doing the same for the next five years. It might be global action on our part, but we also have 200 people working for us in Argentina too.

On the Somuncurá, WLT is working with their local conservation partner Fundación Hábitat y Desarrollo (FH&D), supporting them to create a reserve that will eventually safeguard 11,675 acres of this precious natural resource, to protect its native population for prosperity.

One of the main targets for conservation is the El Rincon Stream Frog (Pleurodema somuncurense). This is the only place you'll find it on Earth. Amphibians like this wouldn't normally be able to survive in an area where temperatures can dip below freezing.

But, thanks to thermal springs, and the impact of steam in warming them, the network of streams has a constant temperature of around 19°C.

Only found in a tiny 5km² area, issues like livestock grazing, the introduction of aggressive non-native fish, and damming have placed it in danger of extinction.

Thankfully, organisations like the World Land Trust and FH&D are beginning to turn the tide, and their future is looking more promising.

And, the Somuncurá has many more species needing protection, as you'll see from the images here.