LAFARGE’S commitment to habitat restoration has been applauded by leading biodiversity champions.

Eminent environmentalists, experts and scientists, along with government officials and commercial leaders, acclaimed the company’s biodiversity initiatives as ‘an important beacon for other businesses’.

The support came following a visit to Panshanger Park, Hertfordshire, on the eve of GBOB, the first ever Global Business of Biodiversity Symposium.

Attracting delegates from around the world the Symposium sought to celebrate the UN’s International Year of Biodiversity, recognise existing work and provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge and expertise.

As co-sponsor of the symposium Lafarge Aggregates and Concrete UK were invited to host the pre-event enabling delegates to gain an insight into the company’s pioneering quarry rehabilitation projects.

Delegates were taken on a guided tour of the Panshanger site which comprises more than 400ha of Grade II* listed parkland originally designed by Humphrey Repton with remnants of Capability Brown landscaping.

Here they were able to see at first hand, an example of industry working with environmental partners to create new and important habitats.

Following their visit almost all considered that Lafarge’s biodiversity initiatives served as an important beacon for other businesses.

Over 80 per cent of delegates indicated the event had raised their awareness of Lafarge’s commitment to biodiversity and the determination of the company in making a real contribution to halting the loss of biodiversity.

David Park, Lafarge A&C UK Regional Restoration Manager (North), said:

 “We are proud the work we have done at Panshanger has been recognised by some of the world’s most eminent environmental experts and stakeholders. Our commitment to restoration and sustainability underpins our operations and while quarrying and construction may seem poles apart from nature conservation, at Lafarge this is certainly not true.”

“We take our environmental responsibility very seriously and we invest much time, effort and dedicated resources into making a lasting contribution to enhancing biodiversity.”

More than half of the delegates thought that reduction in habitats was the main driver behind the loss of biodiversity globally.

Crucially habitat creation, carried out as part of the sympathetic restoration of its sites, provides Lafarge with a real opportunity to contribute towards halting the loss of biodiversity, not only in the UK but throughout its operations worldwide.

The habitats found on the restored areas at Panshanger only exist as a consequence of Lafarge gaining permission to extract sand and gravel from the site.

Other valuable habitat on site, are managed in accordance with a management plan, drawn up as part of the mineral extraction planning permission.

Richard Millican, Regional Restoration Manager, who is heavily involved in the restoration at Panshanger, said:

“Without the quarry it's doubtful if much of the work would be taking place, and the new habitat would not have been created. The huge range of biodiversity across the site is one of Panshanger Estate’s unique features and a measure of the success of the site’s restoration and management.

“This is evident in the range and diversity of mammals, birds, invertebrates and other species recorded and observed at the Panshanger Estate.”

Lafarge operates in partnership with wildlife trusts, national conservation organisations and local community groups.

And as well as employing expert in-house restoration specialists the business works closely with established naturalists and ornithologists.

Notes to editors

Lafarge Aggregates

• The Lafarge Group is the world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in all of its businesses: Cement, Aggregates & Concrete and Gypsum.

• Lafarge A&C UK is part of the world's largest building materials group and is a major UK supplier of innovative concretes and asphalts, rock, sand and gravel and waste management services. Lafarge A&C UK is proud of its hands-on approach to sustainability, which includes award-winning quarry restoration, the careful management of two National Nature Reserves and the development of sustainable, low-energy homes. Innovation and architectural creativity are at the heart of Lafarge's priorities and in 2010, for the sixth year in a row, Lafarge was listed in the ‘Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World’.

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* Source: Corporate Knights Inc.  www.global100.com