There has been a hive of activity at City Building as it marks National Honey Week (23-29 October 2017), by adopting three beehives.
The Glasgow-based firm is creating a buzz by teaming up with Scotland’s leading beekeepers, Plan Bee, to build and maintain habitats for the local honeybee population, which is under threat of extinction due to rising pesticide use, pollution and climate change.
The three hives will be located on the grounds of City Building’s manufacturing division, RSBi where they will have plenty of trees and flowers to forage. By creating an environment where they can thrive, City Building is helping to preserve the endangered species.
The project is the latest in a series of environmental initiatives which have been implemented by the company in recent years. Since 2007, City Building has reduced its carbon footprint by 25% and is one of the few construction companies in Scotland to achieve the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development.
Dr Graham Paterson, Executive Director at City Building, said: “Encouraging sustainable development is a central value at City Building and we are always looking for new and inventive ways to make a positive impact on the environment.
“Installing these beehives was a natural fit for us, which allows us to drive forward our green initiatives, all while helping to protect one of the world’s hardest workers.”
Plan Bee is an eco-innovation business offering beehive adoption, management and educational services to individuals and organisations.
Plan Bee founder and CEO, Warren Bader said: “Bees provide an important ecological process which supports healthy plant communities, providing shelter and food for other insects. It is estimated that they pollinate one third of food crops in the UK, so protecting them against extinction is a vital mission.
“It is great to see organisations like City Building driving awareness of this important cause. The Scottish Government has also launched a new Pollination Strategy, designed to safeguard native bees and butterflies. With these developments, in conjunction with the work of local businesses, hopefully we will begin to see a reverse in the decline of the honeybee.”
