The Challenge
Water manufacturer Spadel aspires to have a positive biodiversity impact across all its sites by 2025.
Water manufacturer Spadel aspires to have a positive biodiversity impact across all its sites by 2025.
Arcadis calculated the impact for Spadel’s Spa site in Belgium and helped determine a concrete vision for the future.
Thanks to this collaboration, Spadel can communicate in a substantiated manner what its efforts mean for nature and biodiversity in the region.
Spadel, the regional leader in natural mineral water brands, is moving towards 100% sustainable operations and products. The team asked Arcadis to measure the impact of its biodiversity measures being taken in Spa, compile a scientifically quantified score and help the company to communicate a clear vision for the future.
Arcadis investigated, based on government maps and fieldwork, how Spadel's impact on the land and biodiversity has changed since its foundation. We used Arcadis' Biodiversity Net Gain Calculator (BNCG) to quantify both the positive and negative effects.
The tool focuses on land use and is based on the average species richness (Mean Species Abundance), or MSA for short. Spadel achieved an exceptionally high score, proving that it actively improves biodiversity in the region.
Together with Spadel, Arcadis developed a vision and ambition for the future, in line with the guidelines of the Science-Based Targets Network. These results were explained during a round table discussion with King Filip and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, on the occasion of Spadel's 100th anniversary. Arcadis moderated this discussion.
Biodiversity is a major focus in the fight against climate change, with many new biodiversity targets being formulated internationally. Biodiversity is also critical to the success and future of Spadel, because clean water comes from a healthy environment and a healthy environment depends on healthy biodiversity.
Sustainable business operations have long ceased to be guesswork. Thanks to this collaboration, Spadel strives for a sustainable world through very concrete and measurable environmental protection actions: lower carbon footprint, emphasis on packaging recycling, protection of biodiversity, setting boundaries for the protection of water catchment areas, and ensuring the safety of employees and local people. In this way, consumers can be sure that they are buying a sustainable and environmentally conscious product.