3 years of momentum for biodiversity with the Biodiversity Impulsion Group program of OID
On November 21st, the Biodiversity Impulsion Group (BIG) celebrated its third anniversary with a conference at the Maison de l’Architecture in Île-de-France. This event marked the conclusion of a first phase rich in actions and collaborations to integrate biodiversity into real estate practices. The morning also opened new perspectives for strengthening the consideration of biodiversity in these practices and ensuring the continuity of the program.
Watch the event replay here (in French).
The Link Between Biodiversity and Climate: Nature-based Solutions and the Costs of Inaction
The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders: real estate companies, consulting firms, local authorities, research offices, and scientific experts, around the theme of biodiversity.
Mireille Khattar Zepf, program manager of BIG at OID, praised the contributions of the program’s partners: “These three years have shown that innovation, collaboration, and perseverance can pave the way for sustainable transformations. Today, it’s time to look to the future and continue moving forward together.”
Alexia Leseur, an economist and expert in climate change and ecological transition, emphasized that nature-based solutions offer economic and flexible alternatives to meet the challenges of climate change adaptation.
Incorporating living systems into adaptation strategies not only reduces the economic costs of inaction but also generates co-benefits such as urban cooling, stormwater management, and improved human health.
The discussions also highlighted the challenge of indicators: unlike CO₂ emissions, biodiversity does not yet have a universal unit of measurement, making it difficult to assess impacts and dependencies. Nevertheless, investments in nature-based solutions and the renaturation of our cities are key solutions to prioritize.
“BIG Picture”: Biodiversity in High Definition
The conference then addressed the post-COP 16 advances. Sylvie Gillet, Head of Biodiversity & Economy at OREE, presented the conclusions of this international conference, highlighting the progress made by companies in incorporating biodiversity into their strategies. However, she also pointed out the persistent challenges, including insufficient funding and pressure from certain interest groups to slow down objectives. Sylvie Gillet also highlighted the “Entreprises et Biodiversité” platform, which offers a catalog of tools and approaches for various stakeholders.
Nirmala Séon-Massin, Director of Expertise at the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), reminded attendees of the importance of a systemic approach: actions can no longer be limited to policies and conservation. All stakeholders, from developers to companies, must integrate biodiversity issues into their strategies.
Guillaume Moukala Same, Economic Studies Officer at Astères, presented the results of a study demonstrating the economic value generated by green spaces in urban areas:
- – €500 million saved through reduced diseases.
- – €1.8 billion in carbon sequestration.
These figures underline the importance of investing in nature and green spaces.
This first part of the conference concluded with an interview with Laurence Monnoyer-Smith, Director of the National Center for Space Studies (CNES). She highlighted research conducted by space programs, particularly the monitoring of forests and the pressures on them, the tracking of land artificialization, and the opportunities provided by satellites for monitoring species migrations and mapping essential ecological corridors.
Laurence Monnoyer-Smith’s message to the real estate sector and the conference audience was: “Let’s continue working together using all the tools available to us. Today, come see us (CNES), come ask for help, and tell us what you need so we can truly collaborate.”
“BIG Actions”: Taking Action, Feedback and Operational Tools
The final roundtable of the conference brought together key stakeholders from the real estate sector, local authorities, and landscape companies who shared their feedback and proposals for further integrating biodiversity into their practices.
François Darchis, Deputy Mayor for the Environment, Innovative Projects, and Sustainable Development of the City of Versailles, emphasized the many benefits that nature and biodiversity bring to the local population. According to him, a successful policy relies on several fundamental elements: the importance of adopting a progressive approach, based on a clear, readable policy that aligns with the expectations of residents. He also discussed the need for a transversal approach within municipal teams, with services that communicate and collaborate actively.
Co-construction with citizens, including awareness and educational initiatives, is also an essential pillar for ensuring the population’s engagement and understanding. Finally, he stressed the importance of implementing visible actions that can concretely demonstrate the results achieved.
Catherine Pouliquen, CSR Director at Crédit Agricole Immobilier, reminded the audience that biodiversity is a particularly sensitive issue for the real estate sector. She emphasized that tools like the BiodiverCity label, combined with training for teams, can turn intentions into concrete actions while raising awareness among stakeholders about these crucial issues.
Luc Rode, Environmental Transition Manager at Nexity Group, highlighted the importance of training and raising awareness within internal teams, as well as involving ecologists from the early stages of real estate projects, which facilitates a more thorough consideration of biodiversity. While he acknowledged that the economic crisis is a barrier for many initiatives, he emphasized that the BIG program had allowed Nexity to integrate ecological expertise at the outset, with tangible results.
Nicolas Leroy, President of Leroy Paysages and representative of the National Union of Landscape Enterprises (Unep), presented the importance of the landscape sector, which includes 34,000 companies in France, two-thirds of which are represented by Unep. He explained that Unep had commissioned the study conducted by Astères, mentioned during the first roundtable, with the goal of providing reliable data to offer concrete solutions to real estate stakeholders and local authorities.
Nicolas Leroy also stressed several key aspects. He particularly highlighted the need to invest in sustainable green spaces, which, when minimally maintained, increase in value over time. He also emphasized the importance of soil continuity and taking the water cycle into account in landscape designs. Finally, he called for collective reflection on the value of investments, which should not be limited to the plot in question but considered in terms of ecosystemic benefits at the neighborhood level.
To conclude the roundtable, Pierre Darmet, Director of Institutional Relations at Unep and moderator of the conference, reminded everyone that the “small steps” policy remains an essential approach for making progress. He stressed the crucial role of the private sector in preserving the common good, nature. Finally, together with Catherine Pouliquen, they highlighted the importance of training, education, and skills transfer—key levers for turning ideas into concrete and lasting actions.
BIG’s Tools and Perspectives
Since 2021, BIG has developed key resources for the sector, including the decision support tool BIODI-Bat. Available on the OID’s R4RE platform, this mapping tool provides various indicators to assist decision-making, such as evaluating the suitability of a building for biodiversity, the ecological challenges of a given area, or estimating co-benefits related to nature, such as urban cooling and public health improvement.
In a video, the BIG team at OID – consisting of Mireille Khattar Zepf, Aminetou Ciré, Philomène Pagès, and Pauline Kajl Abadie – reviewed the accomplishments of the first three years of the program, highlighting their personal commitments and future perspectives.
Sabine Goueta Desnault, Chair of the BIG Steering Committee, emphasized the progress made while reminding everyone that much remains to be done: “No other sector has structured a biodiversity strategy like real estate. Yet, we must accelerate and make biodiversity an operational priority.”
In this perspective, the Biodiversity Impulsion Group (BIG) is committed to enhancing its impact by continuing to innovate and unify. Among its priorities are the development of a training program dedicated to biodiversity, designed to help real estate professionals integrate this topic into their practices.
BIG will also continue improving its tools and indicators, particularly BIODI-Bat, to offer solutions that are even more robust and adapted to the sector’s challenges. Finally, the program will continue to play a key role in raising awareness and fostering collaboration between public and private stakeholders, thereby consolidating its position as a catalyst for a more biodiversity-friendly real estate sector.