Translations Best practice in Spanish version Best practice in French version Best practice in English version

EUROTUNNEL preserve biodiversity on both sides of the Channel

4. Environment

Biodiversity and sustainable resource management

Context

Created in 1994, the Getlink Group gathers several industries specialized in facilities and transport in the UK and in France. The promoters of the cross-channel Lien Fixe and its operator, Eurotunnel, have pledged that the "construction site" of the century has now become a vital transportation system, with a controlled impact on the environment, and protects and enhances biodiversity in Pas-de-Calais and Kent.

Objectives

  • Manage the natural areas properties of Eurotunnel in France and England in an active and responsible way, in partnership with specialists in charge of environmental monitoring of the fauna and flora.

  • Develop biodiversity in these sites.

  • Open, as much as possible, the nature reserves to the public.

APPROACH

The three galleries of the Channel Tunnel were drilled at 40 m below the seabed which prevents any interaction between the transport system and the marine ecosystem.
Eurotunnel has set up under the cliffs of Dover, Samphire Hoe, an artificial site of 30 hectares where 5 million m3 of blue chalk extracted from the depths of the English Channel at the time of drilling are reused. For 15 years, this site has been dedicated to the development of diversity.

Eurotunnel has taken the soil and vegetation of a wooded area (Biggins Wood) to the location of its terminal in Folkestone and relocated a little further, to preserve the upkeep of Britain’s primary forest.

Eurotunnel has set up, in France, at the edge of its Terminal les Jardin, including an area of 7 ha of water bodies, a rest area frequented by migratory species and important breeding area for many birds.

Best Practice nominated in 2009 by Réseau Alliances and updated in 2018 for its evolution.

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Eurotunnel manages the same concern for ecological preservation, in England, the Folkestone Downs (the Doll's House Hill) and in France, the Pignon and Jardins du Point du jour Funds.

Nature reserves: White Cliffs Countryside Partnership, ornithological and naturalist Groups in the North of France, Eden 62, and Groupement de Defense contre les Organismes Nuisibles (advocacy groups against pests)

 

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

  • Samphire Hoe for the thirteenth consecutive time obtained, in July 2017, the Green Flag that distinguishes best

  • Preserved natural site of England and Wales of Wales

  • Efforts of Eurotunnel and reputation in the field of biodiversity conservation are recognized by its customers, its employees and neighboring communities

  • Over 100,000 visitors each year, educated on environmental protection.

Benefits

  • The Site of Samphire Hoe is a bio-diversity model with more than :

  • 200 species of birds, plants (including rare orchids), 27 species of butterfly, 13 of dragonfly and 190 plant species.

  • The site is also an observation point ideal for bird migration.

  • The Eurotunnel sites serve as a rare observation area for many scientists. - Folkestone Downs declared as a site of special interest. - Site Fund Pignon (France), biodiversity higher than in the ‘80s.

Workforce
3 400 (2017)
Turnover
1 033 millions € (2016)
Country
France

GETLINK

Siège dexploitation dEurotunnel
BP 69
62904 COQUELLES

getlinkgroup.co

Contact

Chaker Lajili

Mise à jour le 18/09/2019

Creative Commons Attribution This work by Réseau Alliances – World Forum Lille is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.