This document discusses selecting biodiversity indicators for business use. It begins by noting that businesses are increasingly concerned with biodiversity. It then addresses common questions around indicators, noting the importance of understanding the business context and objectives. The document outlines a spectrum of potential business applications for indicators, from site-level to supply chain to corporate-level. It stresses the importance of indicators being fit for the intended purpose and decision context. Finally, it presents a process for businesses to select and use indicators, drawing on frameworks from conservation science.

1. @prueaddison
Dr Prue Addison
Berks, Bucks, Oxon, Wildlife Trust
University of Oxford
A framework to guide the selection & use
of biodiversity indicators for business

2. World Economic Forum (2019)
The sustainable business edit
Businesses are beginning to take notice of biodiversity
@prueaddison
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3. So you want one biodiversity indicator…
“what indicator should we use for biodiversity?”
“how can a biodiversity indicator be made
as simple as possible?”
“what ‘off the shelf’ biodiversity
indicator / tool can we use?”
“what (free) biodiversity data is available?”
@prueaddison
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4. I have some questions for businesses:
“what is your business decision context?”
“who is your primary audience?”
“what spatial & temporal scales will your biodiversity
assessment address?”
@prueaddison
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5. A spectrum of business applications for
biodiversity indicators:
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6. A spectrum of business applications for
biodiversity indicators:
What’s the biodiversity performance of the management
interventions at site level?
e.g., to meet lender requirements (IFC PS6)
Reporting format:
biodiversity indicators: critical habitat
assessment indicators (e.g., threatened
and restricted-range species and
ecosystems, and protected areas)
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7. A spectrum of business applications for
biodiversity indicators:
e.g. for site-level commitment to Net Gain
Reporting format:
biodiversity indicators:
site-specific measures of
biodiversity state, pressure
and response
What’s the biodiversity performance of the management
interventions at site level?
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8. A spectrum of business applications for
biodiversity indicators:
How is a business unit / country operation / supply chain
performing overall on biodiversity?
e.g. assessment of corporate biodiversity
commitments
Reporting format:
biodiversity indicators:
UNEP-WCMC aggregate indicators for
extractives sector
Global Biodiversity Score (biodiversity
footprint) for the finance sector
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9. A spectrum of business applications for
biodiversity indicators:
How can I disclose my company's overall efforts in
biodiversity management with external stakeholders
and shareholders?
Reporting format:
biodiversity indicators:
Protected Areas avoided; Threatened
species impacted; Biodiversity Action
Plans implemented
e.g., against corporate commitments,
international biodiversity goals, or voluntary
reporting standards
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10. A spectrum of business applications for
biodiversity indicators:
Reporting format:
biodiversity indicators:
FSC and MSC assessments of indirect effects of
resource extraction
e.g., against external certification
requirements
Does a company meet certification requirements for acceptable
biodiversity performance?
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11. @prueaddison
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Critical elements to help differentiate and select fit-
for-purpose biodiversity indicators for business:

12. How can we encourage a bigger picture perspective
to developing indicators?
… connecting with conservation science & practice!
@prueaddison
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13. Drawing on conservation management processes
Approach Preparing for
action
On-going
management
Monitoring Evaluation
Open standards for Conservation
Practice
● ● ● ●
Adaptive Management ● ●
Biodiversity Indicators Partnership
framework
● ● ● ●
Structured Decision-making ● ● ●
Protected Area Management
Effectiveness Evaluation
●
…. Just like business decision-making frameworks! e.g., the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)
process which is used to guide the control and continual improvement of business
processes
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14. A process to support businesses select & use biodiversity
indicator(s)
1: Clarify the
decision
context
2: Set
management
objectives
3: Explore & set
management
actions
4: Develop or
select
indicators
5: Monitor,
assess & report
6: Adapt &
refine
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15. https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/47919
Report now available online
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… and peer review paper soon to come!

16. Thank you to all contributors
prue.addison@zoo.ox.ac.uk
PJ Stephenson
Joe Bull
Mark Burgman
Tom Brooks
Giulia Carbone
Leah Gerber
Pippa Howard
Nadine McCormick
Louise McRae
Kim Reuter
Malcolm Starkey
E.J. Milner-Gulland
@prueaddison