Anticipating impacts: the first step in protecting biodiversity (2/5)
To preserve natural heritage, it is essential to anticipate and limit impacts right from the project design phase. This involves rigorous analysis of the ecological context and the implementation of appropriate measures to minimize our footprint on ecosystems.
In the previous article, we presented our commitments, strategy, protocols and tools built with scientific experts and deployed across the Group to help protect biodiversity. For this second article, we talk about the first and crucial stage of the biodiversity mitigation hierarchy.
The most effective way to protect nature
The avoidance step is the first and the most important step in the mitigation hierarchy. It means identifying and preventing negative impacts on biodiversity before they occur, and adapting projects to avoid as many negative impacts as possible on habitats, species and/or an ecological function.
This may involve:
- choosing an alternative site
- adjusting the project design
- modifying a project's perimeter to preserve ecosystems.
These adaptations are designed and agreed from the preliminary planning and design phases of a project. When the project is launched, this plan is carefully implemented at all stages of the operational quarry life cycle.
Avoiding environmental impact in quarries is a challenge, because minerals are only found in specific locations.
Before launching a project, environmental experts assess the ecological value of the site and its surroundings. They study fauna, flora, habitats, ecological corridors: What habitats, plant and animal species are present? Are there any species or habitats threatened or protected? Where are they located? Are Invasive alien species present on site?
This assessment helps us to:
- Improve our knowledge of this natural heritage
- Identify sensitive areas where impacts must be avoided
- Put in place appropriate avoidance measures: for instance, exclude the most sensitive areas for flora and fauna and their habitats near our work zone to avoid any disturbance that cannot be adequately addressed by the other steps of the mitigation hierarchy.
Here are two examples of avoidance measures, in France, at the Trimouns talc quarry at our site of Luzenac and the Ploemeur kaolin site.
Trimouns talc quarry: protecting critical ecosystems
Located in southwestern France, Trimouns is the largest active talc quarry in the world, meeting about 10% of global demand. Talc is used in everyday products such as paints, plastics and cosmetics. But beyond its industrial importance, Trimouns is also home to a rich diversity of flora, fauna and habitats.
More than ten years ago, biodiversity experts identified two areas of rich biodiversity within our operational perimeter: La Grenouillère and Le Trou des Grailles. Instead of proceeding with our original plans, we took action to protect these ecosystems:
- 2011 → we voluntarily removed La Grenouillère from our activities. It is now part of a regional nature reserve.
- 2019 → we officially excluded Le Trou des Grailles from our mining area in the permit renewal.
In total, the two areas concerned by these avoidance measures cover 248 hectares, reducing our operating area from 1,113 hectares to 865 hectares.
Avoidance is the most effective way to protect biodiversity. However, it does come with challenges. For instance, at Trimouns, renouncing the Trou des Grailles area required us to find an alternative site for overburden storage further from the extraction zone, increasing transportation distances.
Ploemeur site: preserving endangered species
On the coast of Brittany in France, at the Ploemeur site, we extract and transform kaolin, essential for the ceramics, enamel and pneumatics industries, and mica, used in cosmetics, paints and ceramics. This site is located near areas of high ecological value, home to protected fauna and flora that must be preserved.
Therefore, when the time came to renew our permit, we adjusted our operational perimeter. This action resulted in:
- The preservation of 20.7 hectares of sensitive habitats by excluding them from our work area
- The protection of 95% of the site’s protected flora and endangered species, such as the critically endangered Asphodelus macrocarpus subsp. arrondeaui, as well as bats and amphibians.
Preserving these habitats also means protecting our local environment for our families and future generations. I’m proud to work on projects that make biodiversity a priority in an industry where it hasn’t always been.
During operations: we adjust our activities to avoid disturbances
We also take measures throughout our activities to reduce biodiversity impacts, like at the Ploemeur site where we :
- Suspend all activity during breeding periods.
- Adjust working hours to avoid disturbing nocturnal species.
- Use ultrasound technology to locate and safely relocate bats in preserved areas.
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Avoidance is the first and most essential step in protecting biodiversity and minimizing the impact of our activities. Through collaboration with experts and proactive planning, these measures reflect the efforts made at our sites to avoid impacting biodiversity by adapting our operations. As we can't completely avoid an impact, we proceed to the next level of the mitigation hierarchy: Minimize. That's what we'll be discussing in the next article!
- Our commitment : towards no net loss of biodiversity
- Using the biodiversity mitigation hierarchy to prioritize our actions
- Working with experts to develop an approach, tools and protocol based on science
- Addressing our main impact, biodiversity habitat degradation, on 20 priority extraction sites
Find out more in our previous article.
The management of biodiversity is a complex topic because of the inherent complexity and interconnections within nature. This complexity creates another challenge: there is no standardized method or single indicator to measure biodiversity. There are, however, recognized tools to manage ecological impacts. Mitigation hierarchy is a widely used scientific approach that aims to limit the negative impact on biodiversity based on a step methodology of avoiding, minimizing, restoring and finally offsetting the impact. The biodiversity mitigation hierarchy is the cornerstone of our biodiversity policy.
1 hectare = 10,000 m² (about 1.5 soccer fields)
Discover how we’re working towards no net loss of biodiversity by 2030:
More than ever, we must act to preserve our endangered natural heritage, as highlighted during the United Nations COP 16 on Biological Diversity held from October 21 to November 1 2024 in Cali, Colombia. At Imerys, we are committed to mitigating the biodiversity loss that our activities can cause. How ? We tell you all about it in our first voluntary Biodiversity Report, from our commitments to our scientific approach and concrete actions on the ground. Over the coming weeks, a series of articles will showcase how we are turning these commitments into life. Let’s start with the key takeaways from our first-ever voluntary biodiversity report.
Imerys’ UK operations in Cornwall have taken another significant step in advancing their site restoration program, with the goal of planting 150,000 trees across its former China clay quarry sites. In early March, they collaborated with a group of local primary school children, reinforcing community engagement and underscoring their commitment to land rehabilitation in partnership with the local community.
Imerys minerals are found in over thirty industrial sectors, serving as essential ingredients in a broad range of applications—from cosmetics and construction to energy transition initiatives. In these fields, regulations and client expectations are increasingly stringent regarding environmental protection and health standards. Our goal is to help our clients get the most out of our solutions by enhancing their positive contributions to society and responsibly managing any potential negative effects throughout their entire life cycle.
We have partnered with inland shipping company NPRC to use renewable fuel powered barges for the transport of our minerals from our Antwerp terminal in Belgium to our customers in Northern Europe.