World Environment Day 2022 – Only One Earth

In 2021, Oxford University adopted its Environmental Sustainability Strategy, with commitments to both net zero carbon emissions and biodiversity net gain by 2035. For World Environment Day, we have compiled a list of resources and references to help you learn more about biodiversity in the context of Oxford University, as well as ideas for what you can do to help.   

What is biodiversity net gain?

Biodiversity net gain is an approach that aims to balance and improve the impact development and operation have on the natural environment. At present, the University’s activities have an overall negative effect on the natural environment. We aim to change this so that we make a positive impact on biodiversity by doing the following: 

  • account for any impacts University activity has on the natural world and biodiversity in particular; these include development and management of University estate, operation and supply chain;  
  • avoid and reduce negative impacts as much as possible;
  • remediate impacts and use biodiversity offsetting to compensate for any residual effects.  

By 2035, we aim to be able to demonstrate clearly that our activities are increasing biodiversity. 

Carbon accounting is a well-established field, but far fewer organisations try to measure and report how they are affecting biodiversity, and a common methodology for doing this has not yet been agreed upon. However, working closely with the University’s Environmental Sustainability team, researchers from Oxford's Department of Zoology and the University of Kent conducted a comprehensive assessment of the broader environmental impact and biodiversity losses associated with the University’s day-to-day running, including purchasing, travel, and utilities.  

The findings were recently published in Nature magazine, calling every large organisation to plot a comparable path to net gain in biodiversity. Here are a couple of interesting points: 

Net zero carbon and biodiversity net gain are interdependent

The Biodiversity Impact chart (right) shows that most of the University’s impact on biodiversity is caused by greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).  From 2021 onwards, the University reports its environmental impacts as part of its annual financial statements. Read more about biodiversity impacts in the University’s Financial Statements 2020-21.

Bar chart showing biodiversity impact according to pollution sources, from high to low: green house gases, land use, water pollution, air pollution, water use

Our most significant impact on global biodiversity is through our supply chain

The Upstream Effects chart (right) shows that most of our impact on biodiversity is through indirect activity particularly our supply chain.    

The biggest harm to biodiversity comes from these areas, ranked from biggest to smallest effect:  

  • supply chain for research activities (such as for chemicals, medical products, organic tissue and plastics);  
  • supply chain for the day-to-day running of buildings (for paper, information technology and so on);  
  • food consumption;  
  • electricity consumption;
  • supply chain for construction. 

All these activities are associated with resource use and waste, food and the built environment. 

Upstream effects chart with scaled circles showing Oxford University’s direct and indirect impact on biodiversity.

 

Monitoring and reporting its biodiversity impact allows the University to make plans to address it. Read the full report in Nature, or a summary of the environmental profit and loss report on the Environmental Sustainability website. Read the full report in Nature, or a summary of the environmental profit and loss report on the Environmental Sustainability website.

Want to learn more?

Oxford University hosts a range of biodiversity research and action initiatives:  

The Alliance of Nature-Positive Universities  

The United Nations Environment Programme and the University of Oxford have launched a global network to promote nature restoration within the higher education sector, in operations and supply chains, on campuses and within our cities. Visit the Nature Positive Universities website and watch this video to find out more. You can find more biodiversity research on the True Planet portal.  

Students are taking action

Oxford University Nature Conservation Society have created a biodiversity garden by the Faculty of History. They launched phase one of the project in March, planting native woodland flowers and leaving an area of lawn unmown to showcase the diversity of native wildflowers and grasses. The second phase is expected in the autumn. The students will plant a native hedgerow; when mature, it will provide an abundance of nesting sites and feeding resources for many different animal species.  

The garden is intended to pilot ideas that could be applied elsewhere, with the overall aim of enhancing biodiversity as much as possible.

Want to do more?

Green Impact

Through the Green Impact scheme and other initiatives, staff and students are encouraged to take steps to support wildlife on University property. Here are a few examples:  

  • Promote citizen science and take part in a survey like Nature's Calendar or Pollinator Monitoring 
  • Use peat-free compost for your gardening, whether indoor or outdoor
  • Plant wildflowers near your building
  • Install some bug hotels, bird feeders or nest boxes
  • Plant a mini-indoor herb garden
  • Grow vegetables, fruit or nuts on campus
  • Run a biodiversity-themed event

Contact the Environmental Sustainability team if you would like to get involved with helping improve biodiversity around the University estate.

Photos showing a bug hotel and hedgehog pile by Osney One building, seeding wildflowers in ORC near the Wellcome Centre Building, and seasonal mushrooms in a rewilding plot at Old Road Campus.

Wytham Woods

Wytham Woods is a unique site northwest of Oxford. It offers a variety of habitats, from ancient semi-natural woodland to grassland with exceptionally rich in flora and fauna. This includes over 500 species of plants and 800 of butterflies and moths. The Wytham Woods team encourage everyone with an interest in nature and wildlife to get involved through citizen science projects and other initiatives.

Biodiversity treasure hunt

For World Environment Day 2022, we encourage everyone to take inspiration and visit one of our local habitats to discover a surprising array of species right on our doorstep. Download our Biodiversity Treasure Hunt activity and enjoy!

Doing more in your own backyard

You can support local wildlife by making your back garden a safe haven for nature. There are many ways of doing this, from the easy – for example, mowing your lawn less often – to more challenging projects like building a pond or starting a compost pile. 

Here are a few guides to help you enhance biodiversity in your backyard:  

Be social  

While you are out there enjoying wildlife, why not share interesting photos you capture of local wildlife on social media and tag us on @OxfordEnvSust and #BeastsOfOxford