Biodiversity is the incredible variety of life on Earth, from the smallest genes to entire ecosystems. It keeps our planet running smoothly, providing essential services like pollination, clean water, flood protection and carbon storage – benefits worth an estimated US$125-140 trillion every year.
Despite its vital importance, biodiversity loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. Since 1970, 69 per cent of global wildlife populations have declined, and one in four species is now at risk of extinction. The key drivers of this crisis – land and sea use change, pollution, overexploitation, climate change, and invasive species – pose an existential threat to ecosystems, economies and societies worldwide.
The good news is that experts and signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agree it is still possible to halt and reverse nature’s decline. But achieving this goal will take transformative, widespread change across all sectors.
The United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) held in Montreal, Canada in 2022, marked a pivotal moment in global biodiversity governance. The conference resulted in the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), setting out a roadmap for biodiversity restoration and regeneration.
As a result, ‘Nature Positive’ – halting and reversing nature loss by 2030, and achieving full nature recovery by 2050 – has now been established as a global social goal, much like net-zero climate targets.
“Climate and biodiversity go hand in hand,” explains Stewart Moore, the founder and CEO of EarthCheck. “You can’t hope to achieve your climate goals without also addressing biodiversity – they’re inseparable.”
While governments are responsible for achieving national biodiversity targets under the GBF, Target 15 places a specific obligation on businesses. It requires companies to:
- Assess, disclose and reduce biodiversity-related risks and negative impacts.
- Identify their IROs (Impacts, Risks and Opportunities) and dependencies on nature.
- Integrate biodiversity into corporate governance, risk management and financial decision-making.
But even with the 2030 deadline to halt biodiversity loss fast approaching, many companies remain unaware of their obligations under the GBF, or how their operations interface with nature.
“Biodiversity is still a blind spot for most businesses,” notes EarthCheck’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Dr Steve Newman, “but it won’t stay that way much longer. As the 2030 deadline approaches, governments are going to keep introducing policies and regulations that require action.
“Beyond the GBF, we’ve already seen the introduction of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which mandates biodiversity disclosures, as well as the Taskforce for Nature-Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), and Science-Based Targets for Nature (SBTN).
“These regulations and frameworks are going to have a ripple effect across global supply chains – and the companies that start acting now will be ahead of the curve.”
Tourism and nature: A shared future
At COP 15, the travel and tourism sector was recognised as a potential ‘Guardian of Nature’. The sector has a particularly vital role to play in protecting biodiversity, with more than 80 per cent of the value of the industry’s goods and services relying on nature’s resources and ecosystems. Nature-based tourism continues to grow, with forecasts predicting it will generate US$665 billion annually by 2030.
“Tourism and nature are intrinsically connected,” Dr Newman says. “The industry depends on healthy ecosystems to thrive, which is why it has both a moral and commercial responsibility to protect them.”
This strong connection to nature presents both an opportunity and a responsibility. Many operators are already making positive contributions to conservatism and sustainability, but ensuring long-term benefits requires a consistent approach and a clear understanding of what to do, when, where and how.
Recognising the growing need for practical, science-backed solutions, EarthCheck’s Biodiversity and Nature Services have been developed to help businesses assess, manage and disclose biodiversity risks and impacts.
EarthCheck has spent more than 30 years helping businesses and governments create sustainability strategies that drive real impact, and these new services ensure businesses align with emerging biodiversity regulations and global reporting frameworks.
“Our role is to simplify something that may seem quite complex,” Dr Newman says. “Businesses need to understand where they interact with nature, what their impacts are, and what they can actually do about it. That’s where we come in.”
Nature Assessment
The first step in a nature-positive approach is to assess and define how a business interacts with biodiversity. This means evaluating nature-related impacts, risks, opportunities and dependencies, recognising that each business is unique and requires a customised approach.
A meaningful assessment begins with a clear understanding of operational scope. Businesses should catalogue their direct and indirect interactions with nature; identify the natural resources, ecosystems and species they rely on; and evaluate their risks and dependencies – both immediate and long-term.
Dr Newman stresses that in order to do this properly, businesses must be able to look beyond their direct footprint. “One of the key ideas in the GBF is looking at impacts across the entire value chain,” he says. “It’s not just about what a business does directly – it’s about their suppliers, their customers, and how their products or services affect biodiversity at every stage.”
EarthCheck’s Nature Assessment service helps businesses develop a high-level understanding of biodiversity impacts, risks and opportunities. By conducting an initial biodiversity and nature dependency review of their existing documentation and processes, businesses can establish a baseline for their sustainability journey and benchmark themselves against industry peers, policies, regulations and disclosures.
“EarthCheck’s assessment provides an overview of organisational readiness,” Dr Newman explains, “highlighting gaps and opportunities for action.”
Nature Mapping
EarthCheck’s Nature Mapping service uses spatial data analysis to assess biodiversity risks and dependencies at a deeper level. EarthCheck applies GIS-based tools to map business locations against biodiversity risk factors such as species richness, habitat extent and health, and proximity to key biodiversity areas (KBAs) and protected zones.
These spatial assessments help businesses identify where their operations intersect with nature, highlighting areas that require attention or mitigation.
“It’s a practical way for companies to see where their operations intersect with nature,” Dr Newman explains, “without needing costly field surveys from day one.”
Nature Strategy
After assessing their biodiversity impacts and dependencies, businesses must take meaningful action to reduce harm and restore nature. The goal is not simply to minimise environmental damage, but to actively contribute to conservation and regeneration – ensuring that destinations benefit more from tourism than they lose.
While immediate action may not be possible across all areas, having a clear strategy enables businesses to phase in biodiversity initiatives over time.
EarthCheck’s Nature Strategy service helps businesses develop a bespoke roadmap to benchmark their impact, set achievable targets, and develop a policy and processes for action.
“By integrating biodiversity goals into their corporate strategy and operations,” Dr Newman says, “businesses can move beyond piecemeal sustainability efforts, and embed nature-positive practices into their long-term decision-making.”
Biodiversity Capacity and Partnership
The effectiveness of any biodiversity strategy depends on staff awareness, training and commitment at all levels of the business. Employees must understand not only how the business depends on nature, but also how their individual roles contribute to protecting it.
“Providing training on biodiversity and nature-positive practices ensures that sustainability goals are reflected across every department,” Dr Newman says. “Teams responsible for product procurement, supply chain management, customer experience and marketing, for instance, should all be equipped with guidance on how to integrate nature-positive considerations into their decision-making.”
EarthCheck’s Biodiversity Capacity and Partnership service provides training to upskill internal teams, and also helps businesses navigate the complexities of biodiversity partnerships, from stakeholder mapping and NGO engagement to cross-sector networking.
Community-led partnerships can be particularly powerful. For businesses looking to integrate biodiversity into their customer engagement strategy, EarthCheck supports the development of citizen science initiatives, environmental education programs and community-based conservation projects that support biodiversity efforts while engaging travellers in hands-on restoration activities.
“Not only do these projects generate scientific knowledge and improve ecosystem resilience,” Dr Newman says, “but they also provide visitors with a meaningful connection to the destinations they visit.”
Nature Reporting
Measurement is critical – not only to ensure that biodiversity commitments are being followed through, but also to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken.
“Transparent reporting enables businesses to refine their strategies over time, while also meeting growing regulatory and stakeholder expectations,” Dr Newman says. “As biodiversity moves up the corporate agenda, reporting is a governance necessity for businesses to clearly communicate their biodiversity impacts, actions and outcomes.”
EarthCheck’s Nature Reporting service helps businesses ensure their disclosures are transparent and credible; aligned with regulatory and investor expectations; and in compliance with the aforementioned internationally recognised frameworks.
The EarthCheck team supports data collection and validation. Once data has been gathered, EarthCheck’s sustainability experts interpret and communicate findings in a clear, compelling format, ensuring reports are both scientifically rigorous and accessible to key stakeholders.
“Beyond technical reporting, EarthCheck also works with design teams to produce visually impactful reports,” Dr Newman says, “making biodiversity data engaging and actionable for investors, regulators, customers and the broader public.”
Ultimately, EarthCheck’s Biodiversity and Nature Services provide businesses with the tools, expertise and strategic insights they need to assess, manage and disclose their biodiversity impacts.
“The reality is that biodiversity isn’t just a conservation issue,” Stewart Moore says. “It’s a business issue. Companies that fail to integrate nature into their strategies will soon find themselves facing increased regulatory scrutiny, operational risks, and shifting market expectations. But those that take proactive steps now will be well-positioned to drive innovation, strengthen resilience, and create real, lasting value – for both their business and the planet.”
As businesses navigate these challenges, Stewart encourages them to take the next step by engaging with EarthCheck’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Dr Steve Newman, to understand how they can embed nature into their decision-making and align with emerging biodiversity frameworks.
Learn more about EarthCheck’s Biodiversity and Nature Services.
