Nissan: How Can a Manufacturing Plant Become Biodiverse?
More than 50% of global GDP – US$58tn – is highly or moderately dependent on nature.
Nissan’s Sunderland Plant in the UK is now home to a variety of animals including water voles, bats, amphibians, badgers and birds of prey thanks to a biodiversity project.
The plant’s engineering team took on this rewilding project to boost biodiversity in the area.
Andy Barker, Engineering Manager at the Nissan Sunderland Plant, says the rewilding has turned an area of uninhabited marshland into a thriving habitat for wildlife.
He explains: "We're passionate about sustainability so it is fantastic to be able to create an area for wildlife to thrive.
"We've carried out the rewilding close to where we built our first wind farm nearly 20 years ago and near our second solar farm, so this part of the plant has been the focus of our sustainability drive.
"It's fantastic to continue that journey and we've been amazed at how quickly and how many of the various animals have taken up residence."
About Nissan Sunderland
Nissan Sunderland is home to more than 6,000 of the company’s workforce across more than 362,000m2.
The first Nissan Bluebird for commercial sale was created here in 1986 and it is now part of the company’s EV36Zero project.
Nissan EV36Zero is a £1bn (US$1.23bn) project to create the world’s first EV manufacturing system.
The project will consist of three EVs, including the Nissan LEAF, three gigafactories and could reach up to £3bn (US$3.7bn) in investment.
EV36Zero will also bring a 100% renewable energy microgrid to the facility, aiming to reduce Nissan’s carbon footprint by 55,000 tonnes per year.
How did the rewilding project work?
Nissan’s rewilding project took just more than a year to complete and was carried out by the plant’s engineering team in partnership with solar farm developer Atrato Partners Ltd.
Teams involved removed invasive shrubs, such as giant hogweed and ivy, and revitalised the habitat.
A viewing hide was also built in the area to take in the newly biodiverse surroundings.
Animals spotted in the area include owls, various species of bats and birds including herring gull, buzzards and kestrels as well as badgers, deer and great crested newts.
A wide variety of flora has started to develop in the area including bee orchids, white clover, cows slips and garden lupin.
Andy explains: "The second solar farm project allowed us to transform the existing marshland by adding a further pond and a maintained new grassland. It was about taking a holistic approach that included eco diversity as well as renewable energy."
Nissan’s sustainability efforts
The Nissan Green Program 2030 aims to support the company in realising carbon neutrality by 2050.
By the year 2030, it aims to reduce manufacturing CO₂ emissions by 52% and lifecycle vehicle CO₂ emissions by 30% globally.
“All goals are integral to our long-term vision, Nissan Ambition 2030,” says Joji Tagawa, Senior Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer at Nissan.
“What we do on the road to 2030 will be critical for the future we help shape: for employees, partners, communities, and customers.
The company will also enhance water risk management at manufacturing sites, aiming to have zero high-risk sites by 2030.
Air quality is also on the agenda for the Nissan Green Program 2030, looking to enhance management of vehicle emissions including non-tail pipe and manage VOC at manufacturing sites.
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