Champions unite to tackle bees’ needs
Why the UK honey bee needs corporate champions and what National Grid is doing to help
Bees are estimated to contribute £651m to the UK economy per year, through their pollination services. Much of the food, such as 85% of the UK’s apple crop, relies on wild bees and managed honeybees to grow.
We’ve recently seen a severe decline in bee populations however, as they are under increasing threat due to habitat loss, disease and harmful pesticides.
The UK honey bee therefore needs good corporate citizens to help safeguard its habitat. We’re proud to be championing the cause, and have introduced pollinator projects across our land in the UK.
In 2014, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) launched the National Pollinator Strategy, which is a 10 year plan to help pollinating insects survive and thrive.
Two years on, at the Bees’ Needs event, Defra have selected 30 champions that have succeeded in integrating the principles of the pollinator strategy into businesses and communities.
National Grid was recognised in the Construction category by Lord Gardiner, minister for rural affairs and biosecurity. He cited pollinator-friendly projects like ours as he urged others to take action to meet bees’ needs.
Our contribution to UK pollinator priorities
We’re using our position as a land owner to provide bigger, better and more connected spaces for nature and communities alongside our energy infrastructure. By working with local partners and communities, we are using our non-operational land to make a positive contribution to the natural environment, with projects aligned to local biodiversity and community objectives.
It’s a key priority of our environmental sustainability strategy to make a positive contribution to the preservation and enhancement of the natural environment and its ecosystems.
We’ve focused part of this approach on supporting pollinators and are helping to deliver recommendations from Defra’s National Pollinator Strategy.
Pollinators are vital for food production and biodiversity, but they face a range of pressures, from habitat loss to pests and diseases.
That’s why we’re working with the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) to help combat the decline of the honeybee — a significant pollinator — by providing secure areas of non-operational green space to host beehives.
Good for bees and for our business
The introduction of bee hives at nineteen of our sites has increased the number of honey bees available for pollination, whilst providing a long-term strategy for land use. The sites are safe and secure and managed by local beekeepers.
On many of our sites we are also altering mowing regimes to encourage wild flowers to grow between April and September. This is creating vital refuelling stations for wild pollinators.
Employee engagement has been a key element of this project. As well as some employees being involved in the practical care of the hives, groups of employees at Warwick and Eakring also take part in a monthly Bee Walk to support research by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. These observations are used to monitor how bumblebee populations are evolving nationally, as a result of changes in climate and land use.
Our approach has helped to deliver environmental value through partnerships with third party organisations such as the BBKA and Wildlife Trusts. As long as site operations allow it and there is space for beehives, the scheme can be replicated across many more of our sites.
We’ve found clear business benefits to this approach. It can reduce site management costs, whilst preserving what is valued to us and the communities in which we operate.
Receiving the Bees’ Needs award from Defra is honoured recognition of the work that is being done on our estate to protect pollinator populations. We’re using our influence as a landowner to positively influence biodiversity for the benefit of the environment and society.
Did you know?
In order to produce a 1lb jar of honey, the bees fly the equivalent distance of three times around the world in order to produce it. One bee will produce just a single teaspoon of honey in its entire life.
If you’re interested in finding out more about National Grid’s bee project, you can get in touch with our Environmental sustainability team at box.ssr.sustainabil@nationalgrid.com.
