BELFAST HARBOUR CEO LEADS SEEING IS BELIEVING VISIT TO HIGHLIGHT THE BUSINESS ROLE IN PROTECTING AND RESTORING NATURE AND BIODIVERSITY
Senior business leaders from across Northern Ireland took part in a Business in the Community Seeing is Believing visit to explore how businesses can help protect and restore nature and biodiversity.
The full-day visit, led by Joe O’Neill, CEO of Belfast Harbour, took delegates to Belfast Harbour, Lough Neagh and Northstone’s Craigantlet quarry. The programme was designed to help leaders see first-hand the pressures facing nature in Northern Ireland, hear directly from organisations working on practical restoration, and reflect on what this means for their own organisations.
Northern Ireland is recognised as one of the most nature-depleted regions in the world. The evidence is stark: 12% of assessed species are threatened with extinction, farmland bird numbers have fallen by 43% since 1996, the distribution of 891 flowering plant species has declined by 14% since 1970, and there has been no improvement in river ecological status since 2015.
Delegates began the day at Belfast Harbour, hearing about action being taken to restore and enhance nature and biodiversity across the port estate. The visit then moved to Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake in the UK and Ireland, where delegates heard from local fishing people and Lough Neagh Stories about the Lough’s habitats, wildlife, fishing heritage and the environmental pressures affecting this vital landscape.
The final site visit took place at Northstone’s Craigantlet quarry, where delegates learned how an operational quarry can manage environmental responsibilities, plan for long-term restoration and create opportunities for habitat protection and enhancement.
The day concluded with a round table discussion, giving participating leaders space to reflect on what they had seen and consider practical commitments their organisations could make, including through partnerships, site-based action, internal decision-making and the Business and Biodiversity Charter.
Joe O’Neill, CEO of Belfast Harbour, said: “At Belfast Harbour, we believe environmental leadership and commercial success go hand in hand. Today’s event focused on nature and biodiversity, and we are already delivering nature-based solutions across the Harbour Estate. This leadership is recognised by achieving the BITC Biodiversity Charter at Platinum level for 5 years. We are currently working with Ulster Wildlife Trust on a third estate wide assessment of our biodiversity assets, dependencies and pressures to inform our strategic initiatives in this important area.
“The value of bringing leaders together to share knowledge, learn from real-world experience and inspire action was evident today. We hope the insights shared today will help organisations across NI accelerate their own efforts to protect biodiversity, reduce emissions and build a more sustainable future.”
Dr Lisa McIlvenna, Managing Director of Business in the Community Northern Ireland, said: “Responsible business leadership means recognising that healthy nature underpins healthy communities, resilient places and long-term business success. This Seeing is Believing visit was about moving from awareness to action, helping leaders identify the practical steps they can take individually and collectively to support nature-positive outcomes.”
Find out more about the Business & Biodiversity Charter at www.bitcni.org.uk/biodiversity.
