How can Green Walls benefit Biodiversity Net Gain?
How can Green Walls benefit Biodiversity Net Gain?
09 July 2024
The development of residential and commercial areas can pose significant threats to an area’s established biodiversity, including the loss of natural habitats and increases in both air and noise pollution.
To help address these negative impacts, ‘Biodiversity Net Gain’ is now a mandatory requirement in the UK, its objective being to encourage the construction industry to leave urban areas in better shape than before development and so to preserve, protect and enhance natural habitats for flora and fauna.
In short, the initiative has been introduced to ensure that developments retain and respect the local environment, ensuring natural habitats are available for wildlife to thrive.
One way that this can be achieved is through the introduction of Green Walls.
When adding Green Walls to urban areas, we usually imagine they will be perfectly pruned and manicured – perhaps to reflect the precision and elegant lines of the buildings they adorn. However, the Green Wall installed at 351 Caledonian Road proves that this does not have to be the case.
Facing a railway, the Green Wall has been installed to help trap dust and other pollutants from the local area, with the leaves and tendrils effectively absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. As a result, the plants are actively helping to improve the quality of the local air and so reduce pollution.
Allowing the plants to grow and thrive is a great way to create a plentiful and varied natural habitat for wildlife. With the right plant selection, greening can attract bugs and bees and can also be used in conjunction with bird and bat boxes. This ensures that Biodiversity Net Gain is acknowledged, and that the local environment is left in a suitable state.
Plants can also absorb certain amounts of sound, which makes them great for acoustic insulation, with the reduction in noise pollution enhancing the local environment as well as benefitting the building’s occupants.
Proven in projects worldwide, our durable Green Wall systems provide a modern, sustainable solution, bringing nature back to urban environments.
To learn more about our Jakob Green Wall Systems, or discuss your specific project requirements, please contact us on 01761 419427 or email sales@mma-architecturalco.uk to talk to our technical team.