Biodiversity assessment for nuclear fuel suppliers

A biodiversity assessment, not only of our own operations but also of uranium mining, is included as part of our Environmental Product Declaration for electricity from nuclear power.

In this assessment the potential impact of the mining operations on biodiversity is qualitatively described, based on available material such as Environmental Impact Assessments, the mining companies’ environmental programs, and information from open databases on the flora and fauna of the areas, including for example rare species, as well as the effects of land use changes mentioned earlier.

Biodiversity will continue to be an integrated part of the sourcing process of uranium. All Vattenfall’s current and potential uranium suppliers are assessed from a biodiversity risk perspective, and new suppliers are expected to demonstrate how they consider biodiversity and how they apply the mitigation hierarchy if their operations are located in or near areas with high biodiversity, i.e., nationally appointed areas of high biodiversity importance, areas with vulnerable and threatened species, formally protected areas, etc.