Nature Positive Consultancy
At Sweco, we believe that thriving communities and thriving ecosystems go hand-in-hand. Through collaborative, nature positive consultancy we bring together experts in ecology, environment, water and placemaking to deliver integrated solutions that serve both people AND the planet.
We don’t have to choose or compromise. It’s about embracing the ‘and’ – nature and climate change, and resilience, and clean air, and great spaces, and efficient critical infrastructure. It’s about doing right by people and the planet.
Bryn Jones, Nature-based Solutions Lead
Our services span the full spectrum of nature-positive planning and engineering from SuDS, green-blue infrastructure and regenerative landscape design to habitat recovery, rewilding, BNG advisory and ecosystem restoration. Whether creating resilient water systems, restoring natural landscapes or putting biodiversity at the heart of the public realm, we help you meet your regulatory, social and environmental goals with a joined-up approach to transforming both rural and built environments for the better.
A nature positive mindset
Nature positive thinking provides benefits for both people and the planet, and can also be more cost-effective than other alternative ‘non-natural’ alternatives. A core element of the green transition, focusing on nature not only reduce the impacts of climate change but actively enhances biodiversity – building resilience and enhancing adaptation to climate change by helping to safeguard human health, combat food and water scarcity and reduce the risk of disasters such as flood and extreme heat events.
With multi-disciplinary expertise across the planning, design, engineering and asset management lifecycle, we can guide you on the possibilities and opportunities of a nature-positive approach and also help implement and manage them with our global network of biodiversity and engineering specialists for long-term gains.
It is essential that urban spaces incorporate functional, nature-positive, green-blue infrastructure that can support the needs of people and the urban wildlife that relies on these habitats to survive and thrive. By understanding the value of incorporating nature into our cities, we can transform them into resilient places that prioritise equity and sustainability and pave the way for future generations to thrive alongside nature.
Dr Martin Brammah Sweco UK Ecology Lead
UNSDG PRIORITIES:
Sustainable Development Goals at Sweco
Sweco works actively with the 17 goals for sustainable development, and contributes to most of the agenda’s 169 targets in client projects. This is confirmed by the results from Sweco’s employee survey, expanded in 2022 to cover the entire organisation, where 15,500 employees responded that all of the 17 global goals are to varying extents relevant for their work at Sweco and in client projects.
Sweco has identified five goals as the most business-critical to the company’s operations, and those that Sweco, as expert advisor, has the greatest opportunity to influence in creating a more sustainable future together with its clients.
- Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation
- Goal 7: Sustainable energy for all
- Goal 9: Sustainable industry, innovation, and infrastructure for all
- Goal 11: Promote development of sustainable cities and societies
- Goal 13: Climate action
Putting nature at the heart of our water solutions is essential. Water and ecosystems are deeply interconnected – healthy ecosystems sustain water resources, and water shapes the environments we rely on. By leading with nature in our designs we enhance sustainability, strengthen resilience and create lasting benefits for society.
Lindsey Russell Water Director at Sweco UK
SECTOR FOCUS: WATER
Nature-based Solutions for utilities assets & infrastructure
In the water industry, Nature-based Solutions offer a transformative approach to addressing multiple challenges across utilities management. By placing our engineering emphasis on restoring and protecting wetlands, rivers, and coastal areas, as well as implementing green infrastructure solutions, we can use NBS to achieve nature-positive water filtration, flood prevention and improved water quality to address water scarcity and pollution in particular.
