Mainstreaming Nature-Based Solutions in the Corporate World
Nature-based solutions can be integrated into business operations to reduce costs, increase climate resilience, and enhance the natural environment.
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are solutions that are inspired by and supported by nature to solve societal challenges, including environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change. At the same time as they solving challenges, they provide multiple environmental, economic, and social benefits.
NBS come in various shapes and sizes, including green infrastructure at the urban level, for example, permeable pavements and green roofs to reduce localized flooding risks (climate change) while lowering surrounding air temperatures (urban heat island effect) and providing a habitat for wildlife (pollinators).
While NBS have frequently been implemented by local and regional governments, in recent years they have been adopted by companies in large numbers to solve a variety of operations and maintenance challenges. Some use NBS can provide to organizations with large ecological footprints include:
Water treatment
There is a variety of NBS that can be applied to naturally purify used water including:
Constructed wetlands
There are natural methods of filtering water. Vegetation in wetlands suspend solids as water flows through the system while plants and microorganisms take up other pollutants in the water, for example, a constructed wetland can convert organic nitrogen into fertilizer into usable inorganic forms. Constructed wetlands are often cheaper to build and require lower operations and maintenance expenses than a wastewater treatment plant.
Treatment channels
Rocks can be placed within naturally occurring streams to treat industrial water. For example, limestone is an alkaline agent that can be used to neutralize strong acids and so lining a channel with limestone will naturally balance acidic waters without requiring a chemical treatment system, which in turn will restore the natural habitat.
Reducing stormwater runoff
There is a variety of NBS that can be applied to reduce stormwater runoff, improve water quality in local waterways, and mitigate localized flooding risks including:
Bioswales
Organizations can install bioswales to manage stormwater runoff from nearby impervious surfaces such as roads and parking lots. Naturally vegetated filter strips in can protect nearby waterbodies from non-point source pollutants such as oil, brake dust, nutrients, pesticides, sediments, and suspended solids.
Bioretention ponds
Bioretention ponds are designed to treat stormwater runoff from nearby large impervious surfaces. The area around the pond uses soils and plants to remove water pollutants. Stormwater is then stored in the ponding area for a few days where it can infiltrate into the ground or evaporate. The remaining water is slowly released into a nearby waterway.
Green roofs
Green roofs are traditional roofs that have been overlaid with a waterproof membrane, soil, and plants. Green roofs have two impacts on stormwater, first, the plants directly absorb stormwater, reducing the volume of water entering the sewerage system, and second, green roofs slow the rate at which stormwater flows into the sewerage system. Green roofs provide a variety of secondary benefits including lower energy requirements and a habitat for birds and insects.
Benefits to companies
NBS can provide both short- and long-term financial savings for a company including lower capital expenditures, greater savings in operations and maintenance, in addition to less labor and material inputs to create, maintain, and operate the equivalent grey infrastructure. NBS also enables companies to manage regulatory requirements such as Clean Water Act requirements as well as local regulations, such as municipal stormwater fees. Finally, NBS can demonstrate to communities, as well as employees, a company’s commitment to sustainability and the environment.
Conclusion
By implementing nature-based solutions, businesses can make significant financial savings all the while enhancing the environment and building a caring brand.