Last week Cemex and the RSPB marked 15 years of their biodiversity partnership at an event at the RSPB headquarters in Bedfordshire. Initiated in 2009, the partnership aims to improve outcomes for species and habitats by restoring quarries post-operation.

The event was attended by the Cemex/RSPB Steering Group members and included RSPB CEO Beckie Speight plus other members of the RSPB team. Together, the group reflected on some of the successes of the partnership to date and through several workshops, discussed priorities for the future with the ongoing commitment towards continuing to enhance biodiversity for a Nature Positive future.

Meeting the full team for the first time was Carl Cornish, the new Senior Business Conservation Adviser for the RSPB-Cemex Partnership. Carl has been working for the RSPB for past 14 years in the East Midlands as a Conservation Officer and is now excited to get to know our Cemex business and the stakeholders who will be critical to the ongoing success of our partnership.

To date, the partnership has led to significant biodiversity gains, including the restoration of over 1,750 hectares of priority habitats, the restoration of grasslands, woodlands, heathlands, and ponds, the planting of over 100,000 trees. These efforts have created habitats for 46 threatened bird species and numerous other wildlife, such as otters, red squirrels, and water voles. Various rare butterflies, moths, birds and wildflower species have been recorded at Cemex sites through the Biodiversity Management Plans.

Looking ahead, we will continue to prioritise biodiversity through our global Future in Action programme, aiming for carbon net zero by 2050. The UK serves as a pilot for Cemex’s Nature Positive by 2030 programme, which includes habitat mapping to measure and enhance biodiversity. The partnership’s success in the UK has inspired similar initiatives across Cemex’s European operations.