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30 RESOURCES PROTECTION OF ECOSYSTEMS1,2 Woodland Environmental Fund In 2018, the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) launched an innovative public private initiative (PPI) – the Woodlands Environmental Fund (WEF) – whereby the corporate sector can provide additional top up payments to premiums paid to landowners who establish new native woodlands. Effectively this provides additional payments for ecosystem services provided through the creation of new native woodlands while offering the private sector an avenue to support tree planting and the restoration of our native woodlands. Currently, the Department covers the cost of woodland establishment by means of a grant and also pays a premium to the woodland owner each year for 15 years with ourselves in Lidl coming aboard to add a financial incentive to the landowner to engage with the scheme. Having the private sector come on board was the missing link as many landowners are hesitant to change their land to continue covered forestry (CCF) meaning their land will become a native forest in perpetuity. The government backed scheme provides a financial incentive to encourage landowners help to reforest Ireland. SDG 15 – Life on Land Our progress is designed to support SDG 15.9 Integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into development processes. Trees planted Sessile oak ha 8.03 1.02 Birch 1.77 Scots pine 2.96 Mixed broadleaves 5.88 Alder 2.80 Downy Birch 4.00 Rowan 0.60 # of trees 26,491 3,373 5,831 9,780 18,932 9,240 10,000 1,500 Pedunculate/ common oak Total 27.06 85,146 Lidl backed projects: Burnellstown, Co. Westmeath; Brownstown, Co. Wexford; Ballaghboy, Co. Sligo and Ballybogey, Co. Cork. The loss of biodiversity poses an existential threat to ecosystems. Lidl worked with internationally recognised experts on sustainable food systems and agriculture to develop the first biodiversity focused cultivation standard for the conventional cultivation of fruit and vegetables in Europe. This standard was developed as an add on to the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance Standard (IFA) and thus integrated into the established certification system. In the future, the biodiversity standard will be available to all market participants – from producers to distributors so that they can work effectively to protect biodiversity. The team of experts includes Sustainable Food Systems GmbH (SFS) in the role of project leader, as well as the Global Nature Fund, Bioland the Lake Constance Foundation, representatives of agricultural producers and Nürtingen-Geislingen University. The multi-stakeholder approach takes into account different perspectives and accompanying measures and thus promises high acceptance. The result of this process will be that, in the future, growers will implement measures in their business activities based on a catalogue of criteria, which will contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and thus to the protection of species diversity. RESOURCES Protection of Ecosystems Animal Welfare Standards Environmental Protection: Supply Chain SUPPLY CHAIN Employment Related Supplier & Market Human Rights Development Corporate Environmental Management OPERATIONS Employee Responsibility Responsible Products CUSTOMER Transparency Social Value Responsible at Point of Sale Creation Communication