Post de Sabrina Collin Capon

What are the tools to measure biodiversity impacts and what business applications do they cover? The 3rd edition of this excellent mapping provides a comprehensive overview of the metrics, focus area (whole business vs site level etc.), business application and status (under development or operational) of tools and databases dedicated to measuring biodiversity impacts.   The mapping compiled by CDC Biodiversité lists 22 tools and approaches. Compared to the previous edition, several recent tools have been added and one tool which is apparently no longer supported has been removed. The Biodiversity Impact Metric (BIM) and Biodiversity Footprint Calculator (BFC) are also actually not supported any more by their respective developers and should probably be removed from the next edition.   The notable absent are (because they became available after the mapping was prepared): - Bloomberg’s approach using the Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII) metric in collaboration with the British Natural History Museum - S&P Sustainable1’s Nature and Biodiversity Risk Tool using the Ecosystem Integrity Index (EII) metric   🔎 How to read the mapping and what to make of it?   1️⃣ There are four types of metrics used to track corporate biodiversity impacts at all scales (focus areas): i) ecosystem condition metrics, ii) species extinction risk metrics, iii) monetary metrics and iv) non-aggregated metrics monitoring “elementary indicators” (e.g. tree cover, species occurence, etc.). The first two are the ones establishing themselves as the main metrics to focus on, and they are used by all the major frameworks (#CSRD, #GRI, #TNFD, #SBTN).   2️⃣ One key difference between tools (beyond the scope of what they cover) is the use cases (business applications) they can cover. Only a handful of tools seek to provide accurate results with an audit trail transparently tracking which data led to which results. Those tools are built to make it possible for external auditors to verify their outputs: they sit on the second orange row of the mapping: “B- Biodiversity accounting for external audited disclosure”. Such tools will be key to move from rough screening of impact hotspots to a more professional accounting of impacts.   3️⃣ The #MeanSpeciesAbundance (MSA) metric stands out as tools using it cover most business application and focus areas. A suite of tools and databases thus allows to meet most needs with the same coherent metric.   4️⃣ Up to 2022, the number of tools for corporate and financial asset measurement was limited, but that number is starting to explode and tools are multiplying. Screening good from bad and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each tool and database is going to be key. Fortunately overviews such as this mapping, Finance for Biodiversity’s overview and the EU Business and Biodiversity platform’s overview are very helpful guides.

Biodiversity credit schemes database: version 2 🫡 Almost a year has passed since I first open sourced every scheme I could find. Enough has changed to fully revamp it (link in the article below 👇). *What’s new?* 📈 More schemes: 32 → 52 More developed behind the scenes. 📚 More categories: 38 → 50 Now includes demand drivers, pricing strategy, Indigenous rights-related info and, wherever possible, even sales data (amounts & buyers!). 📏 More standardized entries Built with usability in mind. You should be able to slice and dice the database by custom filtering and category hiding in hundreds of different ways. 🔍 Focus: voluntary non-governmental schemes only *Trends & observations* Much has been said already. So just a couple of additions: ⚪️ Contributory demand driver is lower than expected. Offsetting is considered. Last year, publicly suggesting to use biodiversity credits for offsetting was virtually unthinkable. Not anymore. Indigenous leaders & many other stakeholders are squarely opposed to it. ⚪️ Policy: biggest credit demand driver Bulk of the future demand is expected to come from the corporate nature strategies, mostly created in response to the nature-related disclosure & target setting framework wave (CSRD, TNFD, SBTN, etc.). No wonder why the line between the voluntary and compliance markets is getting more blurry. ⚪️ Standardization: a tug of war Practical realities vs innovation. The standardization initiatives (e.g. Biodiversity Credit Alliance’s work or Savimbo’s biodiversity unit) are “offset” by each new scheme that uses unique assumptions, metrics & units. ⚪️ Biodiversity credits: a loaded term Like any environmental credit, biodiversity credits is a religious topic. Result: many folks either “co-opt” the term or demonize it. *Indigenous rights* ⚪️ Lack of transparency: blocker Initially, together with a couple of Indigenous leaders, I tried assessing the schemes with a more structured IP-related assessment. Not enough information to do so. I urge the schemes who (plan to) operate in Indigenous lands to 1. share as much as possible 2. acknowledge the most important official IP-related documents (e.g. UNDRIP, ILO Convention 169 & more) & 3. implement binding safeguards for it. ⚪️ Indigenous leaders should be compensated for their work Providing qualified Indigenous views, properly engaging with market forums or providing advice to industry organizations isn’t free. If you find such work valuable, consider becoming a paid subscriber. It helps keep it free. Cheers 🌱 p.s. Some inaccuracies are inevitable. If you believe your scheme is misrepresented, just ping me or fill in a form (link below 👇) #biodiversitycredits #biodiversity #naturefinance #biodiversitymarket

🌿On International Day for Biodiversity, the Biodiversity Credit Alliance (BCA) is publishing its highly awaited 'Definition of a Biodiversity Credit' Issue Paper #3. You can download the paper here: https://lnkd.in/evDScNCY Launched today at the Biodiversity Day Celebration 2024 in Geneva, this pivotal issue paper contributes to the clarification of concepts and language which are instrumental in the process of developing an inclusive and high-integrity market in biodiversity credits. In the rapidly emerging world of ecological units and markets, all stakeholders need to speak the same language. This issue paper brings together many perspectives to present an inclusive but clear definition that sets minimum standards for biodiversity credits and projects associated with them. In lockstep with this release, we’re happy to launch our updated website, featuring a useful FAQ section to help you navigate the various aspects of the biodiversity credit market. See more here: https://lnkd.in/ekKMKzPe #biodiversitycredits #naturefinance #InternationalDayforBiologicalDiversity

“Nature positive means more #nature in the future than at the present, and that means that we need to reverse past impacts, not just address impacts going forward". That's what I told Genevieve Bennett when I was interviewed together with Martine Maron and Amrei Von Hase for an article that was published today in the Ecosystem Marketplace: https://lnkd.in/dZuZWkmw Some key principles for achieving this outcome include: 1️⃣ Applying the mitigation hierarchy to direct and attributable impacts on #biodiversity at the project level (including indirect and cumulative impacts); 2️⃣ Addressing more diffuse impacts through value chains and sectoral policies, particularly in the primary sector (#agriculture, #forestry, #fisheries); 3️⃣ Achieving further conservation benefits unrelated to compensation, through other #conservation and #restoration actions - including #rewilding at scale! 💡 These recommendations draw on lessons from existing impact mitigation and biodiversity offsetting policies and regulations, as well as past experiments in biodiversity crediting and other nature "markets" such as the ones that have emerged in the US, Australia, parts of Europe and elsewhere. We can't afford to ignore these lessons at a time when interest in biodiversity #credits is booming according to the World Economic Forum: https://lnkd.in/dhwY-6Af 🇪🇺 At home, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has recently called to establish a market for biodiversity credits in the European Union: https://lnkd.in/dw_ueJkg 🏋🏾♀️ The article builds on thinking by members of the Thematic Group on Impact Mitigation and Ecological Compensation of IUCN's Commission on #Ecosystem Management: https://lnkd.in/dtfV3_5. For another take on the same message, check out this earlier article in The Conversation: https://lnkd.in/eRZFKcGH Further details on the thinking can be found in a peer-reviewed publication: https://lnkd.in/eiQbiRzx 🐾 These ideas may be useful for NaturaConnect's partners working on financing for #biodiversity and ecological #connectivity in #Europe, including Evelyn Underwood and Gabrielle Aubert of the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and Daniel Veríssimo of Rewilding Europe. #GenerationRestoration Angela A. | Stephen Edwards | Sven von Vittorelli | Mariana Sarmiento | Kerry ten Kate | Megan Evans | Joe W Bull | Julia P G Jones | Sophus zu Ermgassen | E.J. Milner-Gulland | susie brownlie | Jo Treweek Joshua Berger | Simas Gradeckas | David Meyers | Marco Lambertini | Johannes Schreuder | Amy Duthie | Giulia Testa Forest Trends Association | Conservation Finance Alliance | Nature Positive Initiative | Biodiversity Credit Alliance

When you think of biodiversity, what comes to mind? 🪸 It’s beautiful, 🌱 Delicate yet resilient, 🐝 And vital to sustaining life on Earth. So, you’d be forgiven for thinking it would be tough to accurately measure your impact on it! Well, we’ve got some great news for you - 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱, 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱. We measure biodiversity impacts in terms of 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 of species (PDF). This academically-preferred metric quantifies the annual global species extinction risk resulting from a company’s operations. We also present PDF as 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁, measured in km²– think of it as the amount of pristine nature transformed into an urban area. 🖼️ What’s more, we evaluate a company’s dependencies on all 25 ecosystem services listed in the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) (e.g. Air Filtration and Pollination). We rank these dependencies using the widely-known ENCORE system, giving you a complete picture of how your company impacts biodiversity. ☝️𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹–𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮. Our database already covers 15,000 companies, but if yours isn’t listed, send us your data and we’ll run the analysis for you. Follow along as we discover how GIST Impact supports businesses to assess their biodiversity risks and opportunities, next time. Yara International #COP16 #BiodiversityFootprint #PDF #TNFD

Why is TNFD a catalyst for biodiversity action? How do we at Axa IM and Axa Group integrate TNFD recommendations ?   You will find in this short paper below what we concretely do on the topic, testing the LEAP approach of TNFD through a pilot analysis run by I Care by BearingPoint. https://lnkd.in/eESpCDmh   What are the lessons learnt from this pilot? What are the implications for investment decisions? We are answering here a few key questions, including those related to data and methodological challenges. Although they are real, they should not be an excuse for inaction. It would bring real risks for investors, including the one of missing opportunities related to nature protection. Guillaume Neveux Mariana Villanueva Benoît Galaup Marika Rueter Martin Powell