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Biodiversity Measurement Approaches – Voluntary Reporting Standards

Posted 13th November 2025

Introduction

Aside from regulatory requirements, business organisations may also volunteer to report on their sustainability and environmental impacts. While this can be a costly endeavour, one wonders what business case is there for voluntarily conducting a sustainability report? Voluntarily reporting on organisational sustainability demonstrates to clients, that a business is serious about tackling the biodiversity and climate crisis. Something that can be used to further develop business partnerships and client relationships with others that are serious about sustainable business models. Reducing environmental impact often also reduces other business costs and can help to reveal inefficiencies within a value chain. Reporting is a powerful tool and can be used to identify many different aspects of business sustainability and how to improve them. Some examples include: identifying risks and sourcing sustainable materials to be used throughout the supply chain, understanding impacts on biodiversity and how regulatory risks may cause future business risks, alternative supplier and transportation mechanisms that will allow for longer term profitability.

Game-Changer

One such auditing mechanism that has gained a substantial reputation is the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). Having only launched its full framework in Q4 of 2023, TNFD has been implemented and aligned amongst global industry leaders and reporting institutions such as the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) (Taskforce on Nature-related Finanical Disclosures, 2024). TNFD is rapidly becoming one of the global standards by which businesses relationship to the natural environment is being measured.  The outcomes of aligning and disclosing reports with TNFD is an understanding of how that business may be dependent on nature and what risks, opportunities and impacts exist regarding biodiversity. TNFD has also introduced the ‘LEAP’ approach, guiding businesses on how to align their reporting with TNFD principles. The ‘LEAP’ approach may be summarised as follows:

  1. Locate – Identify an organisations material sources and geographic footprint of nature interface
  2. Evaluate – Develop an understanding of impacts and dependencies with nature
  3. Assess – Understand which risks and opportunities should be disclosed through identifying, measuring and prioritisation of high-risk facets.
  4. Prepare – Decide how the organisation should disclose and respond to nature-related issues identified (TNFD.Global, 2023).

While this 4-step process may sound straightforward, conducting a TFND aligned assessment is a complex endeavour. This is why TNFD has published further guidance for all the potential specifics relevant to participating organisations. Guidance exists on sector specific reporting such as water utilities, marine transportation or construction materials as an example, with further guidance areas published for biome specific areas, value chain analysis and for engaging with indigenous peoples and local communities. TNFD has quickly become such a central reporting standard that UN associated agencies have developed tools to help within completing this LEAP approach. The ENCORE (Exploring Natural Capital Opportunities, Risks and Exposure) tool, provides data detailing how various economic components interact with nature. ENCORE provides a wide range of data including spatial maps, showing ecosystem services, impacts and dependencies for business operations and models. In short, ENCORE is a powerful tool for aligning sustainability reporting with TNFD and understanding business impacts on the environment (ENCORE, 2025). Another framework that has been developed to closely align and compliment with TNFD is ‘Science Based Targets Network’ (SBTN). SBTN was developed in 2019 by a global coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to provide targets for companies and cities to address environmental impacts across all biomes. SBTN frameworks draws heavily on the concept of planetary boundaries and drivers. The identification of how one’s business or city impacts these is a significant undertaking, but in doing so allows for highly targeted actions to be taken to address sustainability issues. What is perhaps unique about SBTN is its ability to not just enhance the quality of the natural environment but to address social and economic issues to achieve a true measure of sustainability across (Science Based Targets Network: Global Commons Alliance, 2025).

International Biodiversity Consultants Ltd

What can we do for you?

International Biodiversity Consultants have a unique pool of global talent that is capable of tackling any sustainability reporting currently in place. With a global reach and a diverse skillset boasted by its associates, IBC is capable of delivering a wide array of regulatory and voluntarily based sustainability reports for any business size or location. Whether this requires field surveys, remote sensing, GIS mapping, digital modelling, database management or other required activities, IBC is able to effectively deliver on any and all reporting requirements, adhering to globally recognised frameworks, directive sand protocols. IBC can offer such services to help global businesses achieve their sustainability ambitions and reduce climate/biodiversity derived risks to their survival.

References

ENCORE. (2025). Exploring Natural Capital Opportunities, Risks and Exposure. Retrieved from encorenature.org: https://www.encorenature.org/en

Science Based Targets Network: Global Commons Alliance. (2025). What are SBTS? Retrieved from Science Based Targets Network: https://sciencebasedtargetsnetwork.org/about/what-are-sbts/

Taskforce on Nature-related Finanical Disclosures. (2024). Our History. Retrieved from TNFD: https://tnfd.global/about/history/

TNFD.Global. (2023, October). Guidance on the identification and assessment of nature-related issues: The LEAP approach. Retrieved from TFND: https://tnfd.global/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Guidance_on_the_identification_and_assessment_of_nature-related_Issues_The_TNFD_LEAP_approach_V1.1_October2023.pdf?v=1698403116

About the Author

SAMUEL KELLY REES (MSC), ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT

Samuel Rees is an ethnobiologist and ecologist. Having gained an MSc in Ethnobotany from the University of Kent, he has continued his work as a research associate with grassroots organisations in Cameroon, developing research projects and community-based initiatives to enhance indigenous livelihoods and biodiversity conservation. He has a particular interest in the intersections of human culture and biodiversity, undertaking research in sacred forests, non-timber forest products, medicinal plants and the documentation of traditional ecological knowledge. He believes in utilising a creative approach by using visual mediums and unique methodologies to deliver projects driven to support biocultural conservation.

Sam has worked in delivering biodiversity-based research for developments of national significance in the Netherlands and the UK. He has further experience in producing technical reports for biological baselines and enhancement strategies, along with developing database tools to enhance future planning decisions in large-scale developments. He is a trained IUCN conservation assessor and has helped to deliver ecological monitoring and management plans across various species and habitat types. Having worked closely with Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Sam is also a trained horticulturalist and continues to strategise future conservation initiatives for botanical and biocultural diversity.