Harmonizing nature metrics for business

WBCSD releases first element of its ambitious effort to advance the harmonization of nature-related metrics used by business. 

As part of the next phase of its Roadmaps to Nature Positive, WBCSD is driving a large-scale initiative to help sustainability practitioners identify the most relevant nature-related metrics to measure progress, set targets and disclose in alignment with major voluntary and regulatory frameworks. The outcomes of this initiative will be accessible via a user-friendly Nature Metrics Portal (the Portal), with an initial version set to launch by the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in November 2025. 

Geneva, 23 October 2024 – Today, at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP16, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) shares its ambition to advance the harmonization of nature-related metrics used by corporations. This far-reaching initiative involves the prioritization of nature metrics linked to sector-specific action areas, and the development of a Nature Metrics Portal. Full details are available in this Strategic Outline. As an intermediary step toward the Portal, to be released in 2025, Excel-based tools for forest products and agri-food (and soon energy and built environment) are being made available for pilot testing. 

Nature is facing unprecedented threats. Achieving the collective goal of halting and reversing nature loss by 2030, with full recovery by 2050 as outlined in the Global Biodiversity Framework, demands more than individual company efforts; it requires a systems-level transformations. WBCSD’s Roadmaps to Nature Positive are designed to drive such transformations, bringing together peers from the same sectors or economic systems to develop a shared agenda to accelerate nature-positive ambitions, actions and accountability. 

Despite encouraging progress, corporate action on nature is failing to meet the urgency of the crisis. Many companies struggle with the inherent complexity of nature and the challenges of navigating rapidly evolving corporate accountability frameworks that promote the use of a myriad of metrics. An effective transition toward a nature-positive economy demands clarity on, and consistent use of, nature-related metrics in corporate decision-making and disclosures. 

To respond to this challenge, WBCSD is working with some 90 corporate members across four systems (forest products, agri-food, energy, built environment) and supported by 4 technical partners (Arcadis, ERM, Quantis, a BCG company, and The Biodiversity Consultancy) to prioritize the most relevant nature-related metrics to measure progress, set targets and disclose material impacts and dependencies. This effort aligns with key voluntary and regulatory frameworks, and influential stakeholder organizations are contributing valuable insight throughout the process. 

The prioritized metrics for the four initial systems are made available as Excel-based tools for pilot testing upon request. Following testing and refinement, WBCSD will integrate these into the Portal by COP30 in November 2025 (including additional systems metrics where completed). To drive widespread adoption of the metrics prioritized in the Portal, its capabilities and coverage will be designed to scale-up up over time.  

Peter Bakker, WBCSD’s President & CEO highlighted that ”One of the biggest barriers to corporate sustainability progress is the lack of consistent, comparable data. This data is essential for companies to provide financial markets and stakeholders with evidence on the risks they face and justify the investments needed to address them. This issue is even more critical for nature, where there’s no single unit of measurement—yet no company can survive without nature. With countless metrics available, consistency is impossible. The Nature Metrics Portal seeks to harmonize nature-related metrics, helping to drive financial flows toward the solutions that will make the biggest impact in creating a nature-positive future.” 

Toshi Mitsuyoshi, President and Executive Officer Sumitomo Forestry added: “The priority metrics for sustainable forest management identified by members of the Forest Solutions Group are a major achievement for the sector. Not only will they help drive consistency in measuring and tracking progress on nature and scale-up sustainable forest management, they will also help engage with our customers downstream to promote responsible sourcing.” 

Anke Kwast, VP Regenerative Agriculture – Climate Framework, Yara International highlighted that: “Harmonizing common outcomes and metrics across the entire value chain enables businesses to set ambitious goals, accurately measure and report their impacts and progress. This, in turn, helps organizations pinpoint the most relevant data for informed decision-making and directs resources towards solutions that meaningfully support nature-positive outcomes, such as regenerative agriculture.” 

Simon Henzell-Thomas, Global Director Climate & Nature, Ingka Group (IKEA) added that: “The key metrics for the built environment and energy sectors are designed to harmonize nature-related metrics across industries, allowing businesses to compare their environmental performance using consistent data. By promoting transparency and accountability, these metrics will help drive investments towards the most impactful nature-positive solutions, ensuring that resources are effectively allocated for maximum environmental benefit.” 

Marco Lambertini, Convener Nature Positive Initiative (NPI), concluded that: “WBCSD and The Nature Positive Initiative, of which WBCSD is a very active member, are working towards the shared mission of driving actions towards the societal goal of nature positive by harmonizing the use of nature-related metrics among different users. The WBCSD Nature Metrics Portal will be an important tool for the uptake and application of the state of nature metrics emerging from NPI’s extensive consultation process.” 

If your organization is interested in exploring opportunities for alignment and collaboration please reach out to Angela Graham-Brown, Director Nature Action: graham-brown@wbcsd.org.  

If you are interested in participating in the pilot testing of the available Excel-based versions of the tool, please reach out to:  

• Matt Inbusch (inbusch@wbcsd.org) for the agri-food system
• Jessica da Silva (dasilva@wbcsd.org) for the forest products sector 
• Claudia Schweizer (schweizer@wbcsd.org) for the built environment system (available in Q1 2025)  
• Diana Ferrari (consultant-ferrari@wbcsd.org) for the energy system (available in Q1 2025)