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Background
Across Australia companies are considering creative ways to embed environmental impact into every aspect of their business as purpose becomes an important part of their value proposition for staff, stakeholders, and prospective clients.
This case study showcases how dsquared consulting are taking the innovative approach of protecting the equivalent square metre footprint of their office space through the purchase of Wilderlands Biological Diversity Units that help preserve high conservation value projects across Australia.
Who is dsquared?
dsquared is an ESD and sustainability consultancy focused on environmental protection and enhancement through ESG strategies, specialising in the built environment and with a strong track record of delivering innovative, independent, robust and cost effective solutions to create sustainable spaces, places and communities for people to enjoy healthy lives.
For many of their clients the topic of climate and nature are front of mind, with the majority of these organisation having net-zero strategies and preparing to report on their climate-related disclosures, some for the first time, but dsquared are seeing more questions arising around how organisations can protect nature and also knowing nature-related financial disclosures are not far away.
Across both of these topics dsquared pride themselves on walking the talk. They not only advise on these matters, but try to tackle the challenges and opportunities of sustainability within their own operations, supporting local and national initiatives and advocacy groups advancing sustainability in Australia.
The Challenge
As a certified carbon-neutral business dsquared have been engaging in annual carbon offsetting for several years and often support nature and revegetation projects, ideally within close proximity to their headquarters in South Australia, believing protecting properties in their backyard just makes sense.
Recognising the importance of protecting and restoring biodiversity, dsquared began exploring local nature projects to expand their impact.
With growing scrutiny of carbon offsets and Climate Active standards, they also looked beyond carbon to create a more meaningful contribution.
dsquared is committed to maintaining their carbon neutral certification however they also wanted to find nature based projects with a preference for both proximity to their Adelaide-based office as well as those that offer hands-on opportunities to see and potentially contribute to the work on the ground.
It was through a chance meeting that they discovered Wilderlands.
Wilderlands have been working with dsquared to educate the built-environment sector on the opportunity to utilise Biological Diversity Units (BDU’s) to achieve Green Star credit pathway points through the Nature Stewardship Credit.
dsquared are recognised as a one of the most trusted environmental consultancies in the country and work with the majority of leading sustainability projects being built in South Australia and provide guidance on Green Star pathways to these clients.
It was during a broader discussion with the Wilderlands team that the idea was borne to protect the equivalent footprint of their office as yet another demonstration of how companies can embed biodiversity protection into different parts of their business.
The Commitment
In 2023, dsquared moved to a new office and committed to protect the equivalent footprint of their floorplan—205 square metres—at the Coorong Lakes project in South Australia.
This commitment will grow in the years to come as the company has also confirmed that they will make the equivalent purchase of (205) Wilderlands biodiversity credits as an annual contribution that will grow their impact over time. In 2026, dsquared will also purchase 1 BDU for every survey response by their clients, taking their total units closer to 250 square metres protected annually. Both of these examples demonstrate how businesses can have an impact on nature in a simple, yet meaningful way.
For dsquared the tangible nature of Wilderlands’ Biological Diversity Unit was attractive as the spatial square metre protection mechanism made it easy to communicate to both staff and external stakeholders.
As a business, dsquared consulting are already involved in other nature-outcome initiatives such as Green Star ratings and NABERS energy assessments, and this was just another way they could connect their operations to the nature that every company relies upon so heavily.
“For our staff it’s just one of the things that aligns with why people work here and for the leadership team it just made so much sense. Everyone has been really supportive and immediately understood the concept and we’ve been recommending this as an idea to our clients as well.”
Every year dsquared communicates their environmental commitments in their annual update on carbon neutrality, setting out goals and demonstrating their action plan to achieve these, and this year this square metre biodiversity protection commitment formed part of this update to their staff and clients.
The Coorong Lakes property is located less than two hours from the city which made this the perfect project to focus on; spanning 200 hectares this project has been co-designed by conservation organisation Cassinia Environmental in collaboration with the Ngarrindjeri people and is home to a rich diversity of the region’s most spectacular flora and fauna.
The collaborative approach with the Ngarrindjeri people was also a key focus, with dsquared recently implementing their first Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan with Reconciliation Australia.
Since taking the action the response from staff and stakeholders has been overwhelmingly positive according to the dsquared consulting team, and they’ve continued to keep them up-to-date with access access to a range of reports, content assets, and other communication materials that could help demonstrate how the decision to protect the footprint of their office spaces was having real-world impact across this project.
Recently, dsquared has supported the City of Port Adelaide Enfield on the new Yitpi Yartapuultiku Aboriginal Cultural Centre which is targeting a 6 Star Green Star rating.
As part of the project, Council has undertaken extensive revegetation and landscaping around the site and has created a Living Shoreline to the adjacent Port River. The Living Shoreline returns the river edge to a natural environment and incorporates mangrove and saltmarsh plantings which will contribute to biodiversity and water quality.
Council have also purchased carbon offsets to offset their operational emissions, and extended their impact by purchasing BDU’s from Wilderlands’ Coorong project. The decision to purchase BDUs was directly aligned with the nature and biodiversity aims of the project and immediately made sense to Council when proposed by dsquared.
The Project
The Coorong Lakes Project, located less than two hours from Adelaide, spans 200 hectares and has been co-designed by Cassinia Environmental in partnership with the Ngarrindjeri people. The property protects a rare pocket of intact native vegetation within a largely cleared agricultural landscape.
Recent monitoring recorded 64 native bird species, including the Purple-gaped Honeyeater (listed as rare in South Australia), and 223 native plant species, such as the endangered Slender Smoke-bush. Notably, the site also supports over 30 native orchid species, including the world’s largest known private-land population of the nationally endangered Metallic Sun-orchid.
By supporting Wilderlands, dsquared is directly contributing to a project that safeguards habitat connectivity, cultural collaboration, and healthy-country outcomes.
The Immersion
In 2025, dsquared’s Jacob Potter had the chance to see the impact first hand when he joined 14 leaders representing some of Australia’s largest companies as part of an immersion experience at our Coorong Lakes project.
This experience has been developed in partnership with Tasman Environmental Markets (TEM) and is designed for individuals involved in shaping their organisation’s nature and carbon strategies and offers a first-hand understanding of how environmental, financial, and brand goals can align through credible, on-the-ground conservation action.
Attendees included a range of leaders from companies including Dexus, Brambles, Fortescue, Lion, Scape, Australian Land Conservation Alliance , IAG, Nature Collective Pty Ltd, as well as the SA Government, who had the chance to explore the project which is located in the heart of Meningie, South Australia and encompassing a sprawling 200 hectares.
The Coorong Lakes project is owned and managed by Cassinia Environmental as a conservation reserve in partnership with the Ngarrindjeri people and across the two days Jacob had the chance to engage with these teams and learn about the work happening on the ground.
Read more about the immersion via the article below.
The Impact
Since adopting the initiative, dsquared has seen strong engagement from staff, clients, and peers.
Their office-footprint protection model has become a clear, replicable example of how any business, regardless of size or sector, can embed biodiversity action into everyday operations.
Thanks to their commitment, 250 square metres of high-value habitat are protected forever, contributing to the long-term preservation of South Australia’s unique species and ecosystems.
