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Lloyds Banking Group’s historic Edinburgh building becomes first city centre site to achieve Biodiversity Benchmark

Lloyds Banking Group’s historic Bank of Scotland building on The Mound has become the first city-centre site to achieve The Wildlife Trusts’ Biodiversity Benchmark, recognising its role in creating a stepping-stone habitat for wildlife through central Edinburgh.

Located between Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns, The Mound provides a link between larger green spaces across the city, helping wildlife move through one of the capital’s busiest urban areas.

Working with the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Lloyds Banking Group has enhanced the site to create a valuable space for nature within the busy urban environment, including a meadow which supports pollinators such as rare northern brown argus butterflies and the nationally scarce stonecrop fanner moth.

The Mound's biodiversity programme covers approximately 0.46 hectares – roughly the size of 11 tennis courts – supporting wildlife in the heart of the city as well as providing space of people to connect with nature. It’s also home to wider urban wildlife including bats, foxes and badgers, demonstrating how city-centre spaces can play an important role in helping nature to thrive alongside people. Lloyds Banking Group colleagues regularly enjoy wellbeing walks and learning sessions around the site to understand more about the wildlife and ongoing nature protection work. 

A close up of a northern brown argus butterfly perched on a plant, its wings outstretched. Its wings are brown with orange dots at the edges

Northern brown argus © John Bridges

A mini wildflower meadow on Lloyds Banking Group’s historic Bank of Scotland building on The Mound

The Mound © Cheryl Jones

A long strip of wildflowers growing next to a metal fence at Lloyds Banking Group’s historic Bank of Scotland building on The Mound

The Mound © Cheryl Jones

Alongside these efforts, Lloyds Banking Group’s Cawley House in Chester Business Park has also achieved the Biodiversity Benchmark accreditation. Together, the two sites encompass woodlands, wildflower meadows and ponds, with the wildlife-friendly management of these spaces reflecting the Group’s wider commitment to protecting and enhancing habitats found across its estate.

Emma Price-Thomas, head of corporate partnerships at The Wildlife Trusts, said: 

“We’re delighted that Lloyds Banking Group’s historic office in Edinburgh has become the first city centre site to receive The Wildlife Trusts’ Biodiversity Benchmark. This achievement demonstrates that biodiversity can thrive in the heart of our cities when nature is considered in every aspect of site management. We hope the achievements, both in Edinburgh and Chester, encourages other organisations to recognise the positive impact urban spaces can have on wildlife and the role all businesses can play in helping to shape nature’s recovery.”

Biodiversity Benchmark certificate is presented to a representative of Lloyd's Banking Group

Biodiversity Benchmark Presentation to Lloyd's Banking Group © Ben Connor

Gillian Brown, Lloyds Banking Group’s Senior Sustainability Design Manager, said: 

“We’re incredibly proud that The Mound has achieved The Wildlife Trusts’ Biodiversity Benchmark. Space for nature is limited in the heart of Edinburgh, but its potential is significant. By protecting existing biodiversity, enhancing habitats and creating new opportunities for wildlife, colleagues and partners are helping wildlife move through the city and showing what can be achieved even on a busy urban site. This independent recognition reflects years of sustained work and gives us a clear standard against which to keep improving.”

Jo Pike, chief executive at Scottish Wildlife Trust, said: 

“This award showcases the importance of action for nature at a time when nature is facing unprecedented threats. The efforts of staff at the Lloyds Banking Group have helped wildlife to thrive in one of our most urban environments, while demonstrating leadership that we hope will inspire others to more actively address the biodiversity and climate crises.”

The sites in Edinburgh and Chester are now among 52 other Biodiversity Benchmark accredited locations, together totalling almost 7,700 hectares across the UK. 

The Wildlife Trusts Biodiversity Benchmark is the only nationally recognised accreditation that certifies organisations for managing land to protect and enhance biodiversity. Independently assessed against rigorous standards, the Benchmark recognises sites that demonstrate a long-term commitment to habitat management, ecological enhancement, and continual improvement for wildlife as well as supporting wider sustainability and climate commitments. 

Find out more about The Wildlife Trusts’ Biodiversity Benchmark accreditation. 

Notes to Editors

About The Wildlife Trusts’ Biodiversity Benchmark

The Wildlife Trusts has created the Biodiversity Benchmark to encourage organisations to manage their land for wildlife and it is the first scheme to recognise continual biodiversity improvement of land. The Benchmark is flexible and adaptable, so that it can be applied to any organisation which manages land, from businesses through to local authorities, service utilities, the NHS, developers and charities. The Wildlife Trusts Biodiversity Benchmark is designed to recognise biodiversity improvements on an organisation’s landholdings; it is not an endorsement of an organisation’s activities or a measurement of its broader environmental performance or impacts. A site that is awarded a Biodiversity Benchmark will be assessed annually.

Companies interested in achieving Biodiversity Benchmark certification can request a pre-assessment form here or email: bb@wildlifetrusts.org

Biodiversity Benchmark | The Wildlife Trusts

The Wildlife Trusts

The Wildlife Trusts are making the world wilder and helping to ensure that nature is part of everyone’s lives. We are a grassroots movement of 46 charities and one central charity, with more than 945,000 members and over 33,000 volunteers. No matter where you are in Britain, there is a Wildlife Trust inspiring people and saving, protecting and standing up for the natural world. With the support of our members, we care for and restore over 2,600 special places for nature on land and run marine conservation projects and collect vital data on the state of our seas. Every Wildlife Trust works within its local community to inspire people to create a wilder future – from advising thousands of landowners on how to manage their land to benefit wildlife, to connecting hundreds of thousands of school children with nature every year. 

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