Biodiversity

Maintaining the earth's biodiversity is a key aspect of sustainable development and involves all sectors of society. Many aspects of commercial operations have a potential impact on biodiversity. For Boots the two key areas of impact arise from our sourcing of raw materials and from the sites where we operate.

Our environmental management process seeks to minimise any negative impacts. We take account of protected species and habitats, as required by national and international legislation, and encourage opportunities to promote biodiversity.

We have developed a Biodiversity Action Plan through which we establish our policies and ongoing objectives and targets to manage our biodiversity impacts.

The issue

Biodiversity is a term used to describe the biological richness and variety of natural and man-made systems. Its scope covers all living things, from micro-organisms to human beings, and includes the diversity of species, the genetic diversity within species and the diversity of the habitats in which they live.

Concerns have increased over the last 30 years about the rapid decline of species, including some once thought common, and their effect on the wider ecology of the region.

What we're doing

Boots has taken a responsible approach to tackling specific biodiversity issues, including:

We do not source products made from or negatively impacting endangered species as listed in Appendix 1 of the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

In the 1990s, as a founder member of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) 1995 Plus Group, Boots committed itself to the aim of sourcing wood, and pulp and paper products only from independently accredited sources such as those certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Boots was one of the first retailers to join the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), an organisation dedicated to improving the sustainability of the international palm oil supply chain.  We are working with other retailers to bring certified sustainably grown palm oil to the market.

Natural products such as sponges and loofahs are only obtained from renewable sources where the product's origin, harvesting methods and renewability issues are understood.

The Botanics range was developed in collaboration with Kew Gardens who accredited the sourcing of the botanic materials in the range.

At our extensive Nottingham support office site, covering many acres, we are monitoring species diversity and have developed a nature walk re-introducing local species such as the Sherwood Oak and Nottingham Crocus.