Special Report: Nature-Based Practices for Pollinators and Commercial Real Estate in North America
AUTHORS: CARLI SCHOENLEBER, VANESSA VLASAK, KRISTEN WERNICK, MAREN BENDER, TAYLOR IASCONE, JULIE JACOBSON AND GABE JOHNMARCH 18, 2025Summary
This special report explores the integration of nature-based practices in commercial landscapes to support pollinators across North America. The decline of pollinators, particularly wild bee species, has severe implications for global biodiversity and food security. This report provides actionable insights into how owners can transform their landscapes to benefit both pollinators and local ecosystems. By prioritizing native plants and sustainable practices, commercial properties can also reduce resource use andmaintenance costs and improve occupant well-being, all while aligning with emerging biodiversity regulations and green building certifications.
Highlights
The decline of wild pollinators, driven by factors such as habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change, threatens biodiversity and global food systems.
Commercial real estate owners can play a critical role in reversing this trend by implementing nature-based landscaping practices that prioritize native plants, eliminate preventative use of pesticides, and maintain nesting habitat.
Nature-based practices can contribute to significant cost savings through reduced water usage and maintenance, increased property values and rent premiums, and enhanced occupant health and well-being.
Creating landscapes that support local ecology can earn credits toward certifications like LEED, SITES, and Fitwel, while also supporting sustainability goals through enhanced resilience to climate impacts and mitigating and sequestering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The report highlights the potential risks of honeybee keeping in commercial settings, emphasizing the need to focus on native pollinators.
Introduction
Pollinators, especially wild bees, play an indispensable role in biodiversity conservation and global food security, with 87% of flowering plant species and more than a third of food crops relying on them for reproduction. Without pollinators, we wouldn't enjoy our morning cup of coffee or fruits like apples, bananas, and strawberries. Yet, scientists are witnessing an alarming decline in global pollinator species due to factors like habitat loss, industrial agriculture, pesticide and insecticide use, urbanization, and climate change. Current estimates from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) indicate up to 40% of bee and butterfly species are at risk of extinction. This trend is evident in North America, home to over 4,000 wild bee species; for wild bee species with data available, Kopec and Burd reported in 2017 that over 50% are in decline and 24% are in “serious peril.”
