Sustainability report 2019

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ACCELERATING OUR POSITIVE IMPACT THROUGH COLLABORATION

MANAGING OUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2019 – BOSKALIS We will also intensify collaboration with relevant organizations to help build and share the knowledge and expertise needed to respond to the environmental challenges and opportunities we foresee in the coming years. In terms of reporting on our progress to achieve our ambition, we will use 2020 as a year to learn from our collaborations and explore the relatively new field of corporate biodiversity reporting with the aim that we can report an appropriate measure for our progress in 2021. It is our aim is to lead the industry in developing nature-based solutions to protect and enhance coastal ecosystems. We see partnerships and collaboration as the backbone of our approach to help achieve this ambition as by working together with others, sharing our knowledge and learning from each other we can achieve much more. In the coming years that means we will continue to work with our clients and other stakeholders to scale and improve our Building with Nature offering. We will also take steps to include standard nature-based options in commercial offers, wherever this is allowable in the tender process.

Early 2020 we signed a new collaboration with Wetlands International, the global NGO dedicated to the safeguarding and restoring of wetlands. Our work together will explore the potential enhance and restore coastal wetland habitats that not only support coastal protection and fisheries but store some of the world’s largest quantities of carbon. The recently signed agreement will see us first focus on developing the expertise and knowledge of ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems that can contribute to climate targets, adaptation and biodiversity conservation. ‘Blue carbon’ refers to the carbon stored by the world’s coastal ecosystems, mostly mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses. BUILDING WITH NATURE Since it was founded in 2008, we have been a leading partner in the EcoShape consortium, which is dedicated to developing and implementing the Building with Nature methodology. This is a design philosophy with an inclusive planning process comprising hydrologists, ecologists and engineers working jointly with local communities and government, NGO and other stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions that meet local needs.