Partnership with Swiss Biodiversity Forum

We are pleased to announce a new multi-year partnership with the Swiss Biodiversity Forum on the theme nature protection. To promote biodiversity in urban areas, the Promotion of Biodiversity in the Real Estate Sector project brings together stakeholders from the construction and real estate sectors with the scientific community to develop assessment and decision-making tools. The project aims to mobilize various stakeholders in the real estate sector to develop, scale up, and promote a method for assessing the impact of real estate investments on biodiversity.  

 In the face of biodiversity loss, urban green spaces are increasingly recognized as important image and location factors. A study commissioned by Somaha Foundation highlights the need and potential for promoting biodiversity in the real estate sector: Through investment, advice and facilitation, the financial and real estate sectors can significantly contribute to promoting biodiversity in urban areas.  

Promoting biodiversity has many benefits, not only for nature and society, but also for the property sector itself: 

• Increased property value
  Properties with high levels of biodiversity are more attractive, sustainable, and promote quality of life, thus increasing their market value. Biodiversity can also improve the urban climate and help regulate building temperatures. 
• Risk reduction
  Biodiversity measures can mitigate damage caused by extreme weather events. For example, green spaces can absorb rainwater, thus reducing the risk of flooding and flash floods. 
• Regulatory compliance
  Promoting biodiversity ensures compliance with current and future legal requirements for sustainability and environmental protection. 

The project seeks additional institutional stakeholders from the financial and real estate sectors to help develop biodiversity parameters and to apply them to existing properties. If you are interested, please contact naturschutz@somaha-stiftung.ch or biodiversity@scnat.ch.