Rescuing the critically endangered peregrine falcon and the crucian carp, creating butterfly migration corridors under power lines, protecting birds against injury by electric current, and supporting planting of trees in municipalities – those are just a few activities carried out by CEZ Group that contribute to nature preservation and diversity in the Czech Republic. By signing an agreement with the CUNC, CEZ has now become an official partner of the National Biodiversity Conservation Programme. This means applying the latest findings related to the promotion of species diversity more systematically and focusing also on awareness and education.
“CEZ Group is a leader in decarbonisation of the energy sector and is striving to achieve climate neutrality by 2040. Climate protection is closely linked to biodiversity. As partners of the National Biodiversity Conservation Programme, we want to contribute to better care for landscape, to support it systematically, help endangered animal species, and to become more involved in environmental education at universities,” said CEZ Group CEO Daniel Beneš.
Under the agreement, the Czech Union of Nature Conservationists will conduct biological mapping of selected sites owned and managed by CEZ Group and will draw up plans for caring for their biodiversity better. Furthermore, the CUNC will provide CEZ Group with current insights for integration in the Trees Grant of the CEZ Foundation, which has supported tree planting in municipalities since 2011, in particular in the form of alleys and avenues, but also in parks and municipal orchards.
“Loss of biological diversity is one of the most pressing problems that we have been addressing in the conservation of Czech nature. Biodiversity is extremely important: the more plant and animal species and links among them are present at a certain site, the more stable the locale is, and resistant to external influences, such as drought. The involvement of large corporations, such as CEZ Group, in supporting biodiversity, makes a significant contribution to the achievement of our targets in conserving our beautiful Czech nature and to improving the living conditions of endangered species,” said CUNC Chairman. Libor Ambrozek
“This January, we were among the first in the Czech Republic to commit to assess the impact of our business on the environment, landscape, ecosystems, and biological diversity according to the recommendations and evaluation criteria of the international TNFD initiative (Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures). A key step is mapping how we are doing in terms of biological diversity, so that we may prepare a programme for its renewal and protection. I believe that the cooperation with the Czech Union of Nature Conservationists will help us set up the best possible care for biological diversity, to ensure that its benefits for Czech nature and landscape become manifest as soon as possible,” said Michaela Chaloupková, member of the Board of Directors of CEZ Group.
An interesting example of the symbiosis of nature with the energy sector are high-voltage power line routes that serve as migration corridors for certain butterfly species. Thanks to regular pruning, they represent an uninterrupted and sufficiently wide band running through landscape that includes a broad range of plants and shrubs, without containing major barriers in the form of tall trees. Some time ago, the CUNC Salamander association carried out several studies in which naturalists mapped the occurrence of protected and endangered butterflies along the routes of CEZ Distribuce lines in Valašské Beskydy region. Through the CEZ Foundation, the energy company has provided sustained support to the association in caring for meadows and pastures in the Beskydy, especially in the vicinity of power lines. Using herds of sheep, they ensure that they are kept as a species-rich “set table” for butterflies.
Nature and landscape conservation is not only about caring for a specific territory but also about setting up values in educating new generations. That is why the cooperation of the Czech Union of Nature Conservationists and CEZ Group will also involve environmental education, with a focus on biodiversity assessment and support for activities in environmental education.
The Czech Union of Nature Conservationists is a non-governmental non-profit organisation focused on conserving nature and landscape. Since its establishment in 1990, it has taken part in conserving biodiversity, environmental education and rescue of endangered species. Protect Biodiversity (csop.cz)