During Svemin's annual environmental conference - this year on the theme of innovation for sustainability - Ecogain consultants Sara Carlsén and Anders Enetjärn were tasked with describing the innovative heights and scientific challenges of ecological aftercare.
- Sustainable land use does not come from simple solutions. Instead, it is about the complexity of finding the right place, minimizing the damage to land and water, considering compensating the damage and, not least, considering recreating nature, Anders began.
He went on to say that the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 15: Ecosystems and Biodiversity, show that it is strategically valuable for companies to take on ecological restoration. The EU Biodiversity Strategy - with its Target 2: Conserving and restoring ecosystems - shows the importance of planning for new nature.
Organic gardening on a large scale
Sara, an expert in ecological aftercare, then shared her insights in the field.
What is organic finishing?
- Ecological restoration is a form of ecological gardening on a large scale. It involves designing new nature on a site characterized by industrial activity, by adapting to the landscape, taking into account soils, topography and hydrology, and selecting species and ecosystems that will dominate the site in the future.
Where is the innovative edge in ecological finishing?
- The whole concept of ecological restoration is about innovation, but it also requires innovative thinking at any given site. For example, in finding the right methods and choosing the right soil materials, machinery and species.
This spring you organized a study trip to England for Svemin and its members. What conclusions did it lead to?
- Above all, the conclusion that other countries, not least England, are far ahead of us. They have been working for over 20 years to develop solutions that turn former mines and quarries into resources for community planning. We got a big dose of inspiration!
Svemin is the industry organization for mines, mineral and metal producers in Sweden. Their annual environmental conference took place this year at Kulturens hus in Luleå on October 2-3.
