The LEAP Nature Risk Assessment Approach: L2: Nature Interface
L2: Nature Interface
Guiding Questions: Which biomes and ecosystems do these activities interface with? What is the current integrity and importance of the ecosystems at each location?
Collating data
The nature-related risks faced by an organisation are directly related to the integrity and resilience of the ecosystems supporting the ecosystem services on which they and others rely as, for example, inputs into production processes.
Once an understanding of an organisation’s operational and commercial footprint is assembled, an organisation can overlay this geo-spatial map of business activity with spatial data, including data from existing market tools, which can assist in mapping terrestrial, freshwater and ocean biomes and ecosystems, and their integrity and resilience.
A number of tools with relevant spatial data layers exist, including data on changes in ecosystems and drivers of change such as deforestation and land use change. A non-comprehensive list of tools includes:
- Global Ecosystem Typology (IUCN)
- Global Map of Ecoregions (Resolve)
- Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) (Birdlife, Conservation International, IUCN, UNEP-WCMC)
- Critical Habitat Screening Layer (UNEP-WCMC)
- Ocean+ (GEO BON, UNEP-WCMC)
- UN Biodiversity Lab (UNDP, UNEP, UNEP-WCMC, CBD Secretariat)
- Global Forest Watch (World Resources Institute)
- Earth (Conservation International)
- Resource Watch (World Resources Institute)
Analysing data
Once the relevant ecosystems and biomes have been identified, it is then critical to assess the:
- Current and projected future integrity and extent of that ecosystem;
- Other classifications of the biodiversity importance of that ecosystem (e.g. key biodiversity areas, protected areas, conservation status and critical natural habitats);
- Wider environmental assets, such as water resources, and their ability to provide ecosystem services; and
- Other environmental risks, including water stress.
Other approaches such as direct measurement techniques (e.g. environmental DNA and species monitoring) may also be useful.
Those ecosystems facing the highest impacts and risks to their integrity, and those identified as being of biodiversity importance due to their classifications, will likely present the organisation with the most material nature risks in the short-, medium- and long-term based on current and future dependencies and impacts. For the purposes of undertaking LEAP analysis, these locations – where a business interacts with ecosystems assessed as being in a state of low integrity or otherwise important – are shortlisted at the next step of the LEAP approach and defined as ‘priority locations’. The first step is a quick assessment of the current integrity and resilience of all ecosystems with which the organisation has a commercial interface.
There are a number of tools that organisations can use to undertake this analysis, including some that are publicly available and others that are provided on a fee-for-service basis, such as:
- Ecosystem integrity/health: GLOBIO’s mean species abundance;
- Water risk/stress: the WWF Water Risk Filter, WRI Water Risk Atlas, the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas;
- Ecosystem conservation status: IUCN Red List of Ecosystems database;
- Other ecosystem classifications: Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool, which contains maps of Key Biodiversity Areas and the World Database on Protected Areas; and
- Natural assets/ecosystem services: GLOBIO Ecosystem Services, ENCORE (contains natural capital depleted hotspots), InVEST (quantifies, maps and values ecosystem services), Ocean Wealth (maps ocean ecosystem services).
- Biodiversity data: Global Biodiversity Information Facility
While a number of leading scientific and data organisations are developing new tools and data sets for assessing the integrity and resilience of ecosystems, there is currently no single global reference to make this determination. As a result, the TNFD encourages organisations to use a number of different tools and data sets to triangulate an understanding of ecosystem integrity and resilience in order to identify potential priority locations. While the TNFD recognises that current data constraints may mean that early attempts at undertaking this analysis are limited to direct organisational assets and operations only, it encourages all organisations to assess related upstream and downstream locations as soon as practicable, given data availability.
Over the next few years, the development of new assessment tools and data sets will lead to increasingly sophisticated and integrated assessments of the integrity and resilience of ecosystems. The TNFD is continuing to research and collaborate in this area and will work with a wide range of organisations to assess how nature-risk data, metrics and targets can be enhanced and made more widely available to market participants.
Useful Tools and Platforms
The following tools and platforms have been carefully selected by the TNFD to help support you in completing this phase of the LEAP process.
EmapperLive
Emapper is is an ecological restoration platform that uses data from UAV, satellite, manned aircraft, IoT sensors and our mobile field application to Identify, Monitor, Manage, Offset and Restore natural habitats and biodiversity values.
SvarmiLive
Digital Nature Inventory Platform, identifying and quantifying protected and invasive plant and tree species
SustainacraftLive
We started developing the site-level nature-capital assessment tool from agricultural commodity sector by utilizing our expertise in assessing the forest carbon credit. Our satellite-based remote sensing technology can estimate above-ground biomass, forest degradation and forest fragmentation. By combining filed survey data, we estimate the specific species (such as birds) occurence map, which can be treated as a proxy to represent biodiversity in that region. Our causal inference technology can scientifically quantify the reference condition.
inVestLive
Tools and data for mapping and quantifying natural capital and ecosystem services, including the InVEST software
Co$tingNatureLive
Co$tingNature is a sophisticated web-based spatial policy support system for natural capital accounting and analysing the ecosystem services provided by natural environments (i.e. nature’s benefits) since 2007. It is widely used (>3500 orgs in >180 countries), open access, web-based, multi-resolution and globally applicable with all required data built in.
natcap MapLive
Map that Measure the natural capital on your land and identify opportunities for enhancement instantly with unrivalled scientific accuracy.
Global Risk intelligence Dashboard (GRiD)Live
CONFIDENTIAL, COMMERCIALLY SENSITIVE: Data set assessing geospatial ESG risk exposures (inc natural capital / biodiversity) for all listed companies and their asset-level facilities
SightLive
A global intelligence platform which aims to provide an up-to-date high-level understanding of what’s happening on the ground.
Chloris Geospatial is a spacetech remote-sensing company measuring natural capital. We currently focus on above-ground biomass. We measure carbon stock and change, consistent in time and space and across scales. We are launching our SaaS platform at the end of September 2022 (focused on above-ground biomass). Our services focus on needs of NBS developers, investors and land sector scope 3 reductions and reporting. From 2023 onwards, we foresee to add additional natural capital layers to our products.
Wilder SensingLive
We are developing a cloud based solution to quantify changes to biodiversity at a local or landscape level. Using audio and video sensors we use Machine Learning to identify which species of bird, bat, mammal (and some insects). Over time the data shows changes to both species present/absent/lost and net changes.
FrontierraLive
Frontierra utilizes satellite monitoring to analyse and evaluate deforestation, reforestation and carbon dynamics in soft commodity supply chains. We provide data, reports, and documentation to evidence compliance with legislation and offsetting requirements, assist in corporate sustainability reporting and meet consumer and shareholder expectations and climate change commitments.
HUB Ocean has developed a data platform technology to ensure that user of ocean-related data can access this data and use it through APIs, SDK or other direct applications. We are a not-for-profit foundation funded by WEF and the Aker group.
Aquascope – Water Data and InsightsLive
Water quality monitoring and forecasting for measurement, reporting and verification
Platform creates asset-level metrics from geolocation and point-in-time environmental building blocks, for impact attribution, benchmarking performance, and sustainability risk management.
MapsLive
Global maps of ecological data
J-BMPLive
We create a platform (J-BMP) including biodiversity features and the related ecosystem services (https://biodiversity-map.thinknature-japan.com/en/) to promote spatial conservation planing and assist nature positive actions.
Nature indexLive
Remote sensing og ecosystem extent;composite “nature index” of biodiversity indicators
The Land App is an accessible online mapping tool providing context and insight for estate managers, environmental consultants and land agents amongst others, supported by our most detailed dataset, OS MasterMap. The Land App provides a user-friendly interface which lets consumers clearly visualise information, resulting in informed decisions being made with sustainability in mind.
CanopyMapper, CarbonMapper, HabitatMapperLive
Space Intelligence is a climate-tech start-up based in Edinburgh, UK. We use satellite data and AI to provide insight for supporting nature-based solutions and sustainable finance. Our core products are aboveground biomass and landcover maps which support baseline assessment and performance MRV for e.g. the voluntary carbon market.
Biodiversity impact Assessment (BiA)Live
It helps effectively identify whether the selected location or construction projects are encroaching on protected wildlife habitats or protected areas.
Protected PlanetLive
Protected Planet is the most up to date and complete source of data on protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs)
Ocean+Live
Ocean+ is an initiative that brings together accurate and up-to-date data and information on ocean biodiversity to support effective decisions that protect global marine life.
The Living Planet Index (LPI) is a measure of the state of the world’s biological diversity based on population trends of vertebrate species from terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats.
Species+Live
Bringing you authoritative information on taxonomy, legislation, distribution and trade in MEA-listed species.
An assessment/guidance of needs, current practices and potential indicator models, and a tool that provides a robust and repeatable methodology for selecting biodiversity indicators, including a structured approach to use these indicators for assessing the state of the ecological environment, the pressures on biodiversity and the responses.
Online tool to explore, assess, respond, and value water risk and explore maps, country profiles, and stories made by WWF, reports.
IUCN RedList of EcosystemsLive
A tool that facilitates ecosystem assessments by providing an ecosystem description, diagnosis, status report, and assessment data.
WaterWorldLive
A scenario testing tool for the development and implementation of land and water related policies for sites and regions globally. The tool can help understand the hydrological and water resources baseline and water risk factors associated with specific activities under current conditions and under scenarios for land use, land management and climate change.
SoilGridsLive
Global soil profile information and covariate data to model the spatial distribution of soil properties across the globe.
Responsible Alternate Fibres: Assessment MethodologyLive
A tool to assess the major environmental and social issues associated with production of unconventional plants grown as feedstock for pulp and paper applications, designed to be a near-exhaustive list of impact areas not captured under a LCA to help investors and producers understand the breadth of potential risks and manage uncertainties.
Local Biodiversity Intactness IndexLive
The Local Biodiversity index provides estimates of human impacts on the intactness of local biodiversity worldwide, and how this may change over time. Because LBII relates to site-level biodiversity, it can be averaged and reported for any larger spatial scale (e.g., countries, biodiversity hotspots or biomes as well as globally) without additional assumptions.
Biome geospatial data from National Geographic ToolLive
Visual map of biomes, to support identification of relevant biomes that operations/ supply chains impact and/ or depend on.
RepRisk, an ESG data science firm, leverages the combination of AI and machine learning with human intelligence to sytematically analyze public information in 23 languages and identify material ESG risks. With daily data updates across 100+ ESG risk factors, RepRisk provides consistent, timely, and actionable data for risk management and ESG integration across a company’s operations, business relationships, and investments.
Global Wetlands geospatial dataLive
Geospatial wetland data, searchable by country and type of wetland.
Ecolab Water Risk MonetizerLive
Quantifies the full value of incoming and outgoing water to a specific location based on basin- level quantity and quality considerations.
ENCORELive
Geospatial datasets on natural capital assets and drivers of environmental change, and qualitative impact/ dependency ratings that link ecosystem services to production processes.
Collect EarthLive
Satellite imagery viewing tool. Specialty in monitoring land use change.
CopernicusLive
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Analysis Ready Data (ARD) on land use mapping, including hotspotting of environmentally stressed areas.
RBA Country Risk Assessment ToolLive
Identify inherent risks within supply chains.
MapBiomasLive
Historical land cover and land use data, covering Brazil, the Amazon and the Gran Chaco. Allows visibility of deforestation over time.
TraseLive
Maps forest- risk supply chains linking consumer countries and traders with places of production. This allows greater visibility of the countries, regions and companies that have higher rates of deforestation.
Natural and Mixed World Heritage Sites dataLive
Geospatial data for UNESCO World Heritage sites that can be overlayed with operations/ supplier locations, to screen for sites that sit in these locations.
IBATLive
Geospatial data to identify where operations/ supplier locations sit in areas of interest such as Key Biodiversity Areas.
AFiLive
Guidance on transparency within forestry and agricultural commodity supply chains.