Introduction to the GBS – a tool to assess the
biodiversity footprint of businesses and financial assets
❑
14:00 – Introduction to the Global Biodiversity Score
❑
15:30 – Case Studies Presentation
❑
16:25 – Towards a common standard for biodiversity footprint
❑
16:45 – Discussion
❑
17:00 – End
Agenda
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Introduction to the Global Biodiversity Score
Context and overview
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❑ Let’s start by getting to know each other…
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Context: a massive loss of ecological integrity
This loss can be quantitatively linked to five
main direct drivers, caused by indirect drivers
Most of the activities impacting biodiversity lack a satisfactory framework to measure, avoid, reduce and offset their impacts
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Significant impact – No clear idea what to do; a lot of general
certifications which do little to prevent
biodiversity loss Relatively
high impact - No clear idea what to
do
Relatively smaller impact – Developed framework
(IFC PS6, etc.)
Impacts on terrestrial biodiversity
The 2019-2020 sequence is particularly favourable for biodiversity
7th IPBES plenary 29/04 –4/05/19
Paris
Environment G7 chaired
by France May 2019
OECD Green Finance Forum
30/10/19 - Paris
GBS 1.0 critical review report
GBS 1.0
IUCN World Congress 2020
Marseille CBD COP14
17-29/11/18 Sharm El-Sheikh
CBD COP15 2020 - Kunming
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❑ Do you know the 20 Aichi targets?
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The GBS makes it possible to take into account business actions and align them with international targets
- Sustainable supply chains
Actions :
- Screen suppliers against deforestation - Offset carbon emissions
- Reduce water consumption Targets :
- Zero net deforestation - Zero plastic
- Halve water footprint
Potential translations for businesses (examples) Post-2020 goals &
targets
GBS assessments
by objectives and by actions
Reducing threats to biodiversity State of
biodiversity
Total footprint
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The planet crossed the planetary boundary for functional biodiversity and the contribution of businesses can be measured
The prerequisites for a biodiversity footprint for businesses and financial institutions
❑ Quantitative
❑ Global
❑ Spatialized
❑ Transparent
❑ Cross-sectoral
Multiple needs, multiple tools
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❑ What biodiversity measurement tools do you know of?
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The GBS fits within this context
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𝐌𝐒𝐀 % = 𝑂𝑏𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝐵𝑖𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 (𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑠) 𝑈𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑 𝐵𝑖𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 (𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑠)
The unit of the GBS :
𝑘𝑚2𝑀𝑆𝐴 = 𝑀𝑆𝐴% × 𝑆𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒
The biodiversity metric: the Mean Species Abundance (MSA)
1 km² MSA loss is equivalent to the destruction of 1 km² of pristine natural areas
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❑ According to you, what aspects of biodiversity are measured by the MSA?
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The Global Biodiversity Score (GBS) tool
❑ A corporate biodiversity footprint assessment tool: evaluates the impact of companies and investments on biodiversity at a corporate level
❑ Results expressed in MSA.km2with MSA the Mean Species Abundance, a metric characterizing the intactness of ecosystems
❑ Links data on economic activity to pressureson biodiversity, and translate them into biodiversity impacts
▪ Hybrid approach used, to take advantage of the best data available at each assessment step
❑ Covers the main pressures on biodiversity: Land use, Fragmentation, Encroachment, Atmospheric nitrogen deposition, Climate change, Hydrological disturbance, Wetland conversion, Nutrient emissions andLand use change in catchment
Frequently asked questions
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❑ What is the reference used by the GBS for the biodiversity state?
▪ MSA = 100% refers to an “undisturbed” ecosystem (no historical baseline).
▪ Note that it is different than the reference in the context of a company’s footprint computation which refers to the biodiversity state at the
beginning of the evaluation period.
❑ Can a desert and a tropical forest both reach a MSA of 100%?
▪ Yes but in the future we consider introducing weightings to take into account biome’s species richness and abundance.
❑ Does the GBS consider that transforming a natural forest into intensive agriculture has the same impact in Cambridge and in the Atlantic forest?
▪ Yes but in the future we consider introducing weightings to take into account ecosystem’s scarcity and vulnerability.
FAQ
❑ Does the GBS take into account upstream and downstream impacts?
▪ At the moment upstream impacts are accounted for. The objective is to also take downstream impacts into account.
❑ Has the MSA been measured trough ecological surveys?
▪ Pressure-impact relationships were derived from a meta-analysis of scientific articles which are all field-based ecological surveys. Then MSA values are generally computed based on those relations.
❑ Are the models and data underlying the GBS regularly updated?
▪ Yes. GLOBIO for instance is regularly updated, in average every 4/5 years.
❑ Does the GBS take into account marine biodiversity and invasive species?
▪ Not yet as we couldn’t identify suitable data.
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FAQ
❑ Are regulatory compensation measures taken into account in the GBS?
▪ The GBS is not a substitute for existing tools and approaches for applying the regulatory mitigation hierarchy sequence.
▪ The co-benefits of these measures for ordinary biodiversity can be assessed with the GBS, outside the mitigation
hierarchy framework.
❑ Does the GBS also offer a qualitative assessment of the biodiversity performance of companies?
▪ Yes, the Biodiversity Footprint Assessments that the GBS will allow provide for a screening phase going beyond the impacts
FAQ
A stepwise approach to use the best data available
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Stepwise approach
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The "Scope" concept allows to take into account biodiversity impacts throughout the value chain
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❑ Do you use the notions of Scope 1, 2, and 3 from the GHG Protocol in your company?
❑ Are you using the Scope definitions of the Natural Capital Protocol (NCP)?
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Linkages between the default and refined approaches
Illustration of the default approach for the assessment of the footprint due to the
production of EUR 1M worth of wheat in France
The B4B+ Club
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The Business for Positive Biodiversity (B4B+) Club
3 annual meetings
- 2 meetings of each workstream - 1 plenary meeting
1 annual report through the broadcasting platform of the "Biodiversity and Economics Mission" (MEB)
1 dedicated web page (in French): http://www.cdc-biodiversite.fr/laction-volontaire/en-savoir-plus- sur-le-club-b4b/
The Club contributes to the funding of the GBS’ technical development:
Yearly membership fee: 6 500 € (VAT excluded)
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The B4B+ Club in details
Members and partners of the B4B+ Club
Value chain workstream
Members and partners of the B4B+ Club
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Finance
workstream
Partners
Companies and investors will be able to conduct their own Biodiversity Footprint Assessments or to work with assessor companies or rating agencies
Companies Assessor companies
Data providers/
Rating agencies
Investors
GBS
Invest in further development
❑ Training:
▪ Level 1 (1d); interpret results and collect data
▪ Level 2 (2d): carry out an assessment
❑ Licenses: non-commercial and commercial use
❑ B4B+ Club Membership – includes one license
❑ Biodiversity footprint assessment service
The future deployment of the GBS
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❑ Do you think that your company might be interested in joining the Club of Businesses for Positive Biodiversity (B4B+ Club)?
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GBS critical review committee
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❑ Objectives :
▪ Verifying the consistency and quality of the tool based on its stated goals, scope and limits
▪ Suggesting improvements to the tool
▪ Assessing the consistency / relevancy with other existing tools and public policies
The robustness and transparency of the tool are reinforced by a GBS critical review committee
❑ Operation:
▪ Secretariat provided by the French Office for Biodiversity, supported by a technical assistance (Solinnen)
▪ Panel of ten independent experts covering GBS topics
▪ Stakeholder panel
▪ Production of documents by CDC Biodiversité
▪ Production of a final public report by the Committee
❑ Calendar: end of the review planned for the first half of 2020
The panel is independent from CDC Biodiversité
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Case studies - application of the GBS
Vue d’ensemble des cas d’étude (déjà ou prochainement) publiés
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GRTgaz - Arc de Dierrey
C/ Biodiversity management &
performance Business application
supported
1/ Public policy
2/
Corporate
& portfolio
3/ Supply options
4/ Product
& service
5/ Project / site
A/ Assessment / rating by and for third parties with
external data
B/ + C/
B/ Internal communication and
external disclosure
GRTgaz - Arc de Dierrey Mirova– 6
companies BNPP AM - portfolio
Veolia - VEDIF
Solvay – Ferulic acid
Michelin - Rubber
AFD – Wolong
lake
Comparison of supply options for Solvay
Solvay produces natural vanillin obtained by bioconversion of ferulic acid, a natural organic compound found in rice bran.
This rice can be sourced from various suppliers/ and locations
As of now, Solvay sources its rice in Japan. On the long run, the
objective is to understand and measure the biodiversity footprint of the various supply options in order to test different suppliers
Solvay - Business Case: introduction
• Dynamic footprint for Japan is the smallest with 3 MSAm²/ton, almost 4 times less than the world average mix (11
MSAm²/ton)
• 2 main patterns:
➢ For countries where pressures from land conversions are
expected to remain low (Japan or USA), main driver is climate change
➢ For countries where pressures from land conversions are
expected to be high (Vietnam, Solvay - Dynamic footprint per ton and pressure
breakdown varies significantly among supply options
Solvay – land conversion forecast varies greatly among countries
Source: GLOBIO
Solvay – A expected, for static footprint yield is the main driver
• Yield is the main driver for static footprint
➢ United states static footprint (1,100 MSAm², yield=8,5
t/ha) is 2,8 times smaller than Thailand’s (3000 MSA.m², yield=3,0 t/ha), inline with yields ratio
• Results are consistent with ecoinvent
Footprint of a listed equity portfolio for BNP Paribas Asset Management
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Case study – assessing the footprint of 5 businesses in a listed equity portfolio (1/2)
Case study – assessing the footprint of 5 businesses in a listed equity portfolio (2/2)
Source: GBS calculations, November 2018
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GBS demo
Towards a common standard for biodiversity footprint – work with ASN Bank, ACTIAM and Finance in Motion and the
Aligning Biodiversity Measures for Business collaboration
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❑
Aligning Biodiversity Measures for Business (ABMB) is a major collaboration that brings together all the developers of corporate biodiversity measurement tools known internationally
❑ Objective: to converge from a technical point of view on these
subjects, in order to allow companies to have a common vocabulary and to have compatible and coherent tools for different uses
❑ Deliverables:
▪ Assessment of biodiversity measurement approaches for businesses and financial institutions
(Lammerant 2019)
Aligning Biodiversity Measures for Business
❑ A protocol providing a common conceptual framework on accounting for biodiversity impacts
❑ Very promising initiative, the first consultation phase of which ended in August
Biological Diversity Protocol
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❑Global Biodiversity Score: a tool to establish and measure corporate and financial commitments for biodiversity – 2018 technical update (2019)
❑Common ground in biodiversity footprint methodologies for the financial sector – CDC Biodiversité, ASN bank, ACTIAM,
Finance in Motion (2018)
❑Global Biodiversity Score: measuring a company’s biodiversity footprint (November 2017)
Learn more
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Antoine Cadi
Directeur Recherche et Innovation Mail:
antoine.cadi@cdc-biodiversite.fr Tél. : +33 (0)1 80 40 15 16 Mobile : +33 (0) 6 21 63 18 00
Joshua Berger
Chef de projet B4B+
Mail:
joshua.berger@cdc-biodiversite.fr Tél. : +33 (0)1 80 40 15 41 Mobile : +33 (0) 6 21 86 16 81
