Biodiversity Footprinting

Biodiversity Footprinting & Accounting

To truly integrate sustainability into their operations and set ambitious goals like science-based biodiversity targets or achieving net positive impact, businesses need a clear understanding of how their activities affect and rely on nature.

This is where biodiversity footprinting and accounting come in. Footprinting measures the positive and negative impacts a project or value chain has on biodiversity, while accounting tracks changes in biodiversity over time.

Together, these tools provide businesses with the crucial data they need to plan effectively, demonstrate their commitment to responsible practices, and ultimately become champions of biodiversity conservation. In order to achieve this a business needs to:

1. Measure: Quantify their impact on biodiversity across their entire operations and supply chain. This goes beyond direct impacts like land use and pollution, also considering indirect pressures like sourcing practices and resource consumption.

2. Identify: Uncover the areas where their activities are causing the most significant harm to biodiversity, highlighting potential risks and opportunities for improvement.

3. Manage: Develop and implement strategies to reduce their negative impact and contribute to restoring or enhancing biodiversity.

4. Report: Demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and transparency by reporting their biodiversity footprint and progress towards improvement.

Some key benefits for businesses that embrace biodiversity footprinting include:

• Reduced regulatory and financial risks: Proactive management can help avoid potential fines, lawsuits, and reputational damage associated with biodiversity loss.
• Enhanced brand reputation: Consumers increasingly value sustainability, and companies demonstrating commitment to biodiversity gain a competitive edge.
• Improved resource efficiency: Understanding your impact can help identify opportunities to reduce resource use and waste, leading to cost savings.
• Innovation and new market opportunities: Investing in biodiversity solutions can lead to innovative products and services, opening up new markets.
• Strengthened social license to operate: Engaging with communities and stakeholders on biodiversity issues can build trust and support.
  
• Overall, biodiversity footprinting is a powerful tool for businesses to understand their impact on nature, manage their risks, and create a more sustainable future.