On the way to a nature-positive Austria 2023-2030: Blooming Austria celebrates the successful first strategy phase 2015-2022 and looks ambitiously into the future
Vienna (OTS) – The founder, the trading company BILLA, and its partner BirdLife Austria have launched a private-sector model initiative for biodiversity and climate protection by founding Blühendes Österreich – BILLA non-profit private foundation. A lot was achieved in the first strategy period from 2015 to 2022. Blooming Austria has 235 Partner:innen from agriculture, biodiversity, civil society, science and education. In the nature conservation sector, the financed projects have a biotope impact of just under 1,100 Hectares achieved.
The challenges are immense – the biodiversity and climate crisis is the biggest problem of our time. “Our earth is in a state of emergency. We are in the middle of the sixth mass extinction in Earth’s history. But there are serious efforts to stop this development and I am proud that we are part of it through our diverse projects!”
emphasizes Gábor Wichmann, Managing Director of BirdLife Austria and Board of Directors of Blooming Austria.
Blooming Austria and BirdLife are strengthening Austria with their strategy “Towards a nature-positive Austria 2023-2030. Together for Biodiversity & Nature Conservation” the global initiative “The Nature Positive Initiative”. This brings together companies, scientific institutes and non-profit organizations such as BirdLife International or the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, naturepositive.org.
Achievements & Awards
Blooming Austria has achieved both the quantitative and qualitative goals of the 2015-2022 strategy period and in some cases even exceeded them: This is how they were 1,100 Hectares Naturally valuable and threatened biotope areas have been demonstrably improved, 194 Partner:innen in their biodiversity activities and financed 80 producers and suppliers of REWE International AG and its trading companies are supported. In addition, were 37 funded partners empowered in their climate and nature education activities.
The following benefited from funded nature conservation projects:
- 34 breeding bird species on the Red List (e.g. snipe, whinchat, corncrake)
- 235 threatened with extinction Plant (e.g. skullcap, long-leaved sundew, hairy feather grass)
- 28 von 65 endangered Habitat types (e.g. dry grass, moors, alpine meadows)
In the citizen science project “Butterflies of Austria”. 24,000 registered volunteers 730,000 butterfly reported.
The area of communication and outreach is a key concern for Blooming Austria – here we were able to 10 million contacts above www.bluehendesoesterreich.at, www.schmetterlingsapp.atthe newsletter and the social media channels. 127,000 people The foundation achieved this through climate and climate projects financed and supported by it Nature education projects.
In 2022, Blühendes Österreich won with five partners and BirdLife Austria won NATURE 2000 Award the European Commission. Already in 2016, REWE International and BirdLife were awarded the Blooming Austria initiative TRIGOS Austria awarded.
New on the board: Robert Nagele
As a strategic private-sector biodiversity initiative of BILLA AG, the foundation is a pioneering initiative in “Business and Biodiversity” not only in Austria, but also in Europe. This importance is underlined by the commitment of the new board member Robert Nagele, board member of BILLA AG: “I have been on the board of the BILLA Foundation Blooming Austria since October 2023, which I am very proud of. In my more than 25 years in the management of BILLA, I have already implemented many topics in my area of responsibility that are important to Blooming Austria, such as flowering meadows in the branches, insect hotels and sustainable construction. All topics relating to sustainable living and business are very important to me, not only professionally but also personally, because the biodiversity crisis and the extinction of species are among the greatest threats to our planet. That’s why it’s very important to me to work for this!”
Goals
Climate change is a major reason for the loss of global biodiversity and climate change depends on biodiversity as part of the solution. So the two are clearly connected and cannot be viewed separately. Blooming Austria is a driver for the interconnection of biodiversity and climate protection. To this end, the foundation and its partners have set themselves two main goals by 2030: Preserve and/or improve another 1,000 hectares of threatened ecosystems in Austria and reach and raise awareness of 10 million contacts via digital communication and platforms.
Blooming Austria sees itself as a partner in the development, support and financing of partners. Ruth Swoboda, director of inatura – Dornbirn Nature Show Experience and member of the Austrian Biodiversity Council, praises this: “It has probably never been more important than now to support initiatives and projects that work with high quality, the necessary depth and, above all, with a very concrete impact on the area. Only with such visible results can the important change in values in our society succeed. Change in values only happens by arousing emotions, concern and the feeling of enrichment through active action. Education can be a powerful lever in this context. Blooming Austria has the necessary expertise on a scientific and ecological level as well as a wonderful network. We as inatura are extremely grateful to be part of this network.”
Food & Biodiversity
With the financed projects and communication activities, Blooming Austria contributes to the preservation and improvement of biotopes with high carbon storage such as wetlands and extensively used grassland and to strengthening extensive forms of management. Agriculture and its representatives play an important role here, as Christina Mutenthaler-Sipek, Managing Director of Agrarmarkt Austria Marketing GesmbH, emphasizes: “The AMA quality seal – especially the one that will be introduced from 2024 for grain and therefore bread and pastries – will place even greater emphasis on the support of biodiversity by our farmers participating in the AMA quality seal program. In doing so, they demonstrably contribute to the preservation of natural habitats and biodiversity.”
Due to the close connection between food retail, food production and biodiversity, Blühendes Österreich focuses on cooperation with suppliers of the founder BILLA AG, in particular on fruit and vegetable producer groups. The managing director of OPST Obst Partner Steiermark GmbH Martin Pfeiffer welcomes this: “We have almost 20% organic share of the Austrian apple market, here we have succeeded with all partners in the process chain in convincing consumers that everyone can make a contribution to the food production of the next generation. We should also be able to do this with the issue of biodiversity in connection with nutrition.”
Butterflies of Austria
Blooming Austria significantly shaped the topic of insects with a focus on butterflies in Austria from 2015 to 2022 and takes a leading role in financing, securing and making insects and butterflies visible in Austria. This will be taken further in 2023-2030. The foundation will continue the successful citizen science project “Butterflies of Austria” in cooperation with “Nature in the Garden” and continue to position itself as an important supporter of butterfly projects.
Kathrin Succow, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the Michael Succow Foundation, emphasizes the importance of cooperation and alliances: “Complex challenges require complex approaches. Answers to the pressing questions of our time can only be found if business, politics and civil society work together. Commercial companies and non-profit foundations must forge alliances. An example from Germany is the cooperation toMOORow between the Otto Group and the Michael Succow Foundation, following the major goal of reducing CO2 in dried-out moors and the economic use of raw materials from “wet agriculture”. Keyword Palladi culture. To really make a difference, you need an alliance of pioneers who lead the way and encourage others to join in.”
About Blooming Austria – BILLA non-profit private foundation
The BILLA Foundation Blühendes Österreich is committed to a healthy environment and ecologically sustainable agriculture. That’s why, since 2015, Blühendes Österreich has been supporting around 230 farmers, nature conservation organizations, communities and other initiatives who protect our habitats, animals and plants through responsible agriculture and valuable environmental projects. 1,100 hectares of endangered biotope areas are already being specifically secured. The website bluehendesoesterreich.at is the strongest digital platform for nature tourism and nature content. In the nature experience portal, Blühendes Österreich brings together around 100 organizations with thousands of nature events every year. The citizen science app “Butterflies of Austria” is one of the largest nature observation projects in German-speaking countries with over 50,000 downloads and the corresponding desktop version. www.bluehendesoesterreich.at
About BirdLife Austria
BirdLife Austria is a partner of BirdLife International, the world’s largest active network of nature and bird protection organizations with over 10 million supporters in over 120 countries. As a non-profit association, BirdLife Austria is the only nationwide ornithological association in Austria and has been implementing scientifically based nature and bird protection projects in the core areas of species protection, protected areas and habitats, sustainability and awareness-raising since it was founded in 1953.
Questions & Contact:
Dr. Judith Terlizzi, Head of Communications for Blooming Austria, Tel. +43 676 711 74 50, j.terlizzi@bluehendesoesterreich.at