BETHESDA, Md., August 17, 2023 /3BL/ – WHC (Wildlife Habitat Council) offers a new white paper available for download today, Nature-based Solutions to Prevent Pollution and Support Biodiversity | Opportunities for the Automotive Industry. This white paper is sponsored by General Motors and is available for free on our website.
Nature-based solutions (NbS) are actions that utilize elements of nature to protect and restore ecosystems. In addition to preserving biodiversity of wildlife and plant species, NbS also deliver environmental co-benefits such as climate change resilience and improved air, water and soil quality, as well as community benefits such as recreation, aesthetics and environmental education.
Of particular use to many industries are the pollution prevention capabilities of NbS. Due to company-wide, national and international environmental goals, many automotive manufacturers have been going above and beyond regulatory requirements by incorporating pollution prevention strategies throughout the supply chain and manufacturing process. NbS are another set of tools that auto manufacturers and their suppliers can deploy to prevent pollution.
This white paper explores how the automotive industry can implement nature-based solutions to prevent pollution. Case studies from WHC-certified programs as well as automotive manufacturers around the world illustrate how nature-based solutions reduce pollution and offer co-benefits for biodiversity and communities.
Featured case studies include:
BMW: Site Operations Center, South Carolina, USABridgestone: Aiken County Off Road Tire Plant, South Carolina, USAChrysler/Stellantis: Peter’s Pond, Indiana, USADENSO: DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee, Inc., Tennessee, USAFord: Ford Rouge Truck Plant, Michigan, USAGeneral Motors: World Headquarters, Michigan, USAHonda: HondaWoods, Tokyo, JapanSubaru: National Headquarters, New Jersey, USAToyota: PEMC, Kentucky, USAVolkswagen: Enterprise South Industrial Park, Tennessee, USAWM: Southern Services Landfill, Tennessee, USA
This white paper is part of a series of deliverables supported by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with particular focus on EPA region 4, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and six indigenous tribes. Throughout this project, WHC has partnered with the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) to support the automotive sector and its supply chain in biodiversity uplift efforts.
Sponsored by General Motors, this white paper includes a foreword that states, “When nature-based solutions are designed into our overall business practice, we can develop strategies to be more resilient regarding the resources we all rely on to operate in today’s competitive landscape. Together, we as an industry can help to improve biodiversity and local ecosystems in our communities. Nature is everyone’s business.”
About WHC:
For 35 years, WHC has been promoting and certifying ecological stewardship action on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since only 10-15% of the world’s land surface is protected, private lands provide an essential opportunity for restoring and protecting biodiversity. As the only international conservation NGO focused exclusively on the private sector, WHC provides a framework for voluntary conservation action on a wide variety of corporate lands. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries.