Biodiversity was the theme of this year's Climate Impact Week. As an essential part of human activity, the value of biodiversity cannot be overstated. Biodiversity loss can have a direct impact upon business operations and supply chains. We continued our partnership with Global Action Plan (GAP), which educates people on how to take practical action and facilitate long term everyday behavioural changes, for a more sustainable life.
The objectives of our Climate Impact Week 2022 were:
We partnered with World Wildlife Fund, the Irish Peatland Conservation Council, Global Action Plan, and Leave No Trace Ireland.
Our webinar with the World Wildlife Fund provided an insight into global biodiversity, how it impacts our daily lives and businesses as well as the role that the finance sector play in supporting biodiversity protection.
The GAP webinar, “Biodiversity 101” gave our people real insight as to why protecting biodiversity is so important and what causes the loss of native habitats. The webinar explored the connection between the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis while inspiring our people to take action to conserve biodiversity at home and in the workplace.
The Irish Peatlands Conservation Council joined us for a talk about Irish bogs and the services they provide for us every day. These include their vital role in climate change mitigation by acting as a large carbon sink as well as other services like water regulation and providing a home to unique biodiversity.
Leave No Trace Ireland gave our people an introduction to our Leave No Trace Bull Island Hotspot project. Bull Island is a haven for both local and visiting wildlife. The area has several nature conservation designations for its habitats and species. Together with Leave No Trace and Dublin City Council, we are working to mitigate negative human impacts as well as surveying local areas through BioBlitzs. Education days with volunteers and locals are empowering people to take care of this amazing place.
Under our partnership with Global Actions Plan (GAP), which supports communities and society through its environmental education programmes, this year we part-funded GAP and Young Ballymun’s Nature Explorer Programme for Toddlers and After-schoolers. This programme was created to encourage families living in emergency accommodation or disadvantaged circumstances to explore the natural world safely and intuitively.
Our in-person volunteering opportunity took place in the GAP community garden in Ballymun. The Connect and Grow programme brings people of all ages and abilities together to interact, learn new skills and reap the benefits of their own harvest grown in the GLAS (Green Living And Sustainable) community garden in Ballymun. The garden welcomes and encourages users and volunteers from all backgrounds such as people from disadvantaged communities, people with limited mobility, wheelchair users, and people living in direct provision centres in the area.
Deloitte employees dedicated 186 hours learning about biodiversity and volunteering during Climate Impact week.