Matthew Rusk’s Post

Want to learn more about how investors can address #biodiversity loss? Dive into our latest case study and discover what Groupe Caisse des Dépôts (CDC) are doing in this space ✨ Background: In May 2019, a global report by IPBES confirmed a rapid decline in biodiversity and highlighted that over a million ❗ species are threatened with extinction. To lead on biodiversity action, CDC has developed a biodiversity policy, structured around four main areas: 1️⃣ Footprint measurement: CDC commits to quantifying and disclosing the biodiversity footprint of its operations 2️⃣ Reduction of negative impacts: The company's efforts focus on lessening environmental impacts by addressing 5 key pressures identified by IPBES 3️⃣ Increase of positive impacts: Enhancing positive biodiversity impacts through #investment decisions, promoting #innovation and building #partnerships 4️⃣ Research, training and awareness: CDC contributes to research, trains staff and stakeholders, and raises awareness about biodiversity issues +1 🚀 CDC has also set a target to invest €6 billion towards #nature, focusing on biodiversity, water, and the circular economy, and are working to align their activities with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Read the full case study here: https://ow.ly/6wfq50RSgwo

🌐 Yesterday was International Biodiversity Day, a day declared by the United Nations to bring attention to the importance of our planet's diverse ecosystems. At Callirius, in this occasion we want to highlight the crucial role of wetland ecosystems in preserving biodiversity, particularly here in Europe 🌱💦. 🐸🦆🦢🐍 Wetlands are among the world's most productive environments. They provide a natural habitat for a wide range of plant and animal species and are a source of biodiversity that is crucial for ecological health. Wetlands cover about 6% of the Earth's land surface and contain 20-30% of the planet's soil carbon (1). Beyond this, they serve as carbon sinks, reducing the impact of climate change 🌡️ by storing up to 1.5 times as much carbon as tropical forests 🌴 (2) 🌍 Particularly in Europe, peatland ecosystems are significant. They are home to unique species that cannot be found anywhere else. However, these ecosystems are under threat, with an estimated loss of 64% of the world's wetlands since the 1900s (2). ⚠️ 💵 Wetlands also provide immense economic value, estimated at $47 trillion per year globally, through services like water filtration 💧, storm protection 🌧️, and tourism 📸 (3) 🤝 The theme of this year is “Be Part of the Plan”, calling all types of stakeholders to support the Biodiversity Plan as they can. Corporations and organizations can play a vital role in enhancing biodiversity. Sponsoring local, high-impact peatland projects, like those in the state of Mecklenburg-vorpommern in Germany, is just one example of how we can make a difference. Get in touch with us and let's take action today to ensure these ecosystems are preserved for future generations. 🌳 #PartofThePlan #InternationalBiodiversityDay #Conservation #Wetlands #peatlands #sustainability #carbonprojects https://lnkd.in/efX5CMn 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 1. Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 2. World Wildlife Fund 3. Costanza et al., 1997

Great case study from Groupe Caisse des Dépôts - it offers practical insights into how investors can develop and implement a biodiversity policy. Want more guidance on how to develop a biodiversity- or nature-related investment policy (standalone or integrated into your broader RI policy)? Read PRI's technical guide linked below! https://lnkd.in/eKV_Q4Rm Sylvaine Rols Anna Shaikly

🌍 Like me, I expect you’ve had plenty of conversations about biodiversity credits this year already. I saw this clear explainer from the World Resources Institute (WRI) last week and thought it might be useful to share it. ❓First, a quick summary: What are biodiversity credits? The WRI says they are an “economic instrument that allows private companies to finance activities – such as forest conservation or restoration – that deliver net positive biodiversity gains.” ❓And why do we need them? 🔹 Globally, we spend far more on environmentally damaging activities than on nature conservation. 🔹 There is hope – under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, 196 countries agreed to redirect $500 billion of harmful subsidies toward biodiversity. 🔹 However there remains a huge financial gap – estimated to be upwards of US $700 billion – between the funds required to ensure ecosystem integrity and the amount currently spent. 🔹 To date, governments have contributed 83 percent of global nature finance, but we cannot expect governments to foot the whole bill. Each country has differing national priorities and budget constraints. 🔹 This is why nature needs the private sector and some say biodiversity credits are the answer. ❓How should companies use them? Naturally, this solution comes with risks. It wouldn't be a market-based solution without them. As always, identifying and mitigating the risks is critical if this solution is to be deployed to maximum effect. As you would expect, the WRI does a good job of this. It suggests that following the mitigation hierarchy (pictured below) would help companies understand and use this conservation tool most effectively. What do you predict for this emerging biodiversity credit market? Let me know in the comments. Isack Bryson Jo Anderson Marc Baker Sarah Borman Level Giulia Carbone Hanlin Wang Lucy Almond Xavier Lorphelin Anna Lerner Nesbitt Eric Wilburn Sinclair V. Camilo Santa Heba Hitti #ClimateSolutions #BiodiversityCredits #NatureBasedSolutions

Learn more about biodiversity markets Weeks ago, we polled what people thought about biodiversity markets and a considerable percentage of people said they were interested in learning more about biodiversity markets. We came across a report from Pollination that delivers deeper into the topic of voluntary biodiversity credits markets. Quite similar to the results and comments of the poll, the key takeaways from the report are: 👉 Biodiversity credits can mobilize funding for ecosystem preservation and restoration, similar to carbon credits. 👉 Robust governance and standardized metrics are essential for ensuring impact and transparency. 👉 Despite growing interest, biodiversity markets are still nascent, needing further development in regulatory frameworks. Find more about the report here: https://lnkd.in/gtTY2m75 As a private sector organisation, we are exploring innovative ways to sustain and restore our planet using the best approaches to maximise positive social impact. Biodiversity markets are one approach we will explore in the future based on the mantra that biodiversity markets maximise benefits to local, indigenous and farming communities. We invite you to visit our website and follow us:https://inovaland.earth/ #Biodiversity #Conservation #Sustainability #NaturePositive #iNovaland

Many #companies across Europe are in need to reduce and quantify the impact of their activities in biodiversity. But are the current tools for measuring business impacts on biodiversity sufficiently aligned with the latest global biodiversity targets? Maybe not This new paper reveals significant gaps in the existing tools—most notably in areas such as ecosystem integrity, aquatic biodiversity, and impacts linked to urban spaces. Without robust tools that cover these essential metrics, efforts may fall short, risking not only regulatory alignment but also the sustainability of the natural systems we depend on #Biodiversity #Sustainability #CorporateResponsibility #EnvironmentalImpact #GlobalBiodiversityFramework https://lnkd.in/d-qudz66

This tool (not yet launched, so no one can actually review it yet and say with any certainty whether it does what it says) has certainly generated some comment and debate. I'll reserve judgement until I see it, but will make an observation from a purely UK perspective. The tool states it uses the IUCN Ecosystem Typology as a starting point for its metric. The IUCN typology takes a very different approach to classifying ecosystems compared to UKHab and the classifications upon which UKHab is derived (e.g. UKBAP and Annex 1). There is a substantial divergence of approach to classification even at the broadest scale. That doesn't make one approach better than the other, only to say that I would caution anyone converting habitat data using UK habitat classifications into the IUCN typology without due consideration to the differences. If anyone is brave enough to think about a correspondence between #UKHab and the IUCN Typology, please do talk to ukhab.org before you start.

There couldn't be a more fitting occasion to announce our latest project, Food for Biodiversity, than on international #BiodiversityDay. Meo Carbon Solutions has joined forces with Global Nature Fund, Bodensee-Stiftung and Justus Liebig University Giessen as a consortium aimed at transforming biodiversity protection in the EU's food sector by contributing to more effective implementation and enforcement of compliance with binding EU instruments on nature and biodiversity. To achieve this goal, the Food for Biodiversity project will:  ⚖️ Support food companies in meeting biodiversity legislation through capacity building  📊 Develop a comprehensive joint database on biodiversity Meo's objective is to assess biodiversity credits as an alternative to financing restoration projects. Our role in the project will focus on capacity building on biodiversity credits, how they can help unlock finance for projects that restore and protect biodiversity and how to incorporate biodiversity into corporate strategies. Additionally, Meo will provide an overview of the biodiversity finance landscape and assess the potential of food companies to develop insetting projects and generate biodiversity credits.   The project is funded by the EU LIFE Programme, which is the European Union's funding instrument for environment and climate action. Our consortium applied to the sub-programme Nature & Biodiversity, which aims to protect and restore Europe's nature and reverse biodiversity loss, supporting the objectives under the EU's Biodiversity Strategy 2030 as part of the EU Green Deal.   Stay tuned for more project updates! #Sustainability #EUGreenDeal #ClimateAction 

New GRI Biodiversity Standard :- It replaces the 2016 standard, GRI 304: Biodiversity. setting new transparency benchmarks globally. 🔍 https://lnkd.in/gfhfrmPQ GRI published a major update to its Biodiversity Standard. 📌 GRI 101: Biodiversity 2024 supports organizations around the world to comprehensively disclose their most significant impacts on biodiversity, throughout their operations and value chain. 📌 The revised GRI Standard builds on key global developments in the biodiversity field, such as the UN Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the Science Based Target Network (SBTN) and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). ⚠ The new GRI Biodiversity Standard arrives at a time when biodiversity is on a precipice:- As the latest IPBES assessment warns that biodiversity is declining in every region; 🔎 https://lnkd.in/gd3hNX7S & 50% of the global economy is under threat due to biodiversity loss (WEF analysis). ⚠ The KPMG Survey of Sustainability Reporting (October 2022) found that, while the GRI Standards are the most widely used for sustainability reporting across global regions, only 40% of the 5,800 companies assessed reported on biodiversity. Supporting GRI Biodiversity Standard makes me optimistic to shape the future that we want and nature needs. #GRI101 #sustainability #biodiversity #TNFD