A coalition of 27 sustainability-focused organisations grouped under the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors’ Nature Positive Initiative (NPI) have launched a consultation on standardised state-of-nature metrics. Unveiled at the Nature Positive Summit in Sydney, the metrics propose a universal approach to measuring the state of nature, aiming to transform how businesses, financial institutions and other key stakeholders embrace action and report on nature-positive outcomes. The proposed measurements are organised around four core indicators – ecosystem extent, ecosystem condition, landscape intactness and species extinction risk – and are designed to integrate metrics under existing frameworks, such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, the Science Based Targets Network, and the Global Reporting Initiative. They also aim to support companies in meeting upcoming obligations under the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. “Nature’s rapid decline threatens global economic stability and human welfare, yet there is no common approach to measure nature’s decline or recovery,” said Marco Lambertini, Convener at the Nature Positive Initiative. “This presents a significant challenge for organisations and also an excuse for inaction, evidenced by the fact that only 6% of Fortune Global 500 companies have developed targets to address their impacts on biodiversity.” The metrics were developed through a six-month stakeholder engagement programme involving 100 organisations including conservation groups, Indigenous forums, scientific institutes and private sector firms, with support from EY and The Biodiversity Consultancy. The process distilled more than 600 existing metrics into a “robust, credible and practical set for widespread adoption”, the NPI said. The online consultation will run until 4 November, with the final version planned for January 2025 – aiming to ensure a standardised and comparable way of measuring progress towards the global goal to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, as stated in the Global Biodiversity Framework.
