The challenge
Supporting nature action through credible measurement
Nature loss is a growing global risk, with over half of the world’s GDP dependent on nature.
Over the past ten years, the idea that organisations – not just governments – need to be more accountable for their interactions with nature has moved from the periphery to centre stage. However, as organisations have started to grapple with the practicalities of measuring and reporting the state of their natural capital, and their nature-related impacts, dependencies, opportunities and risks, they have realised that it is extremely complex and challenging.
While ambition to address the loss of nature is accelerating, organisations need clear direction on the metrics and the associated data in order to incorporate nature in decision making. Furthermore, businesses will be increasingly expected to assess and disclose their impacts and dependencies on nature. Access to consistent, scalable, and credible methods for measuring natural capital are holding back action.
Our work with BHP addresses the urgent need for robust tools to support both internal monitoring and disclosure of nature-related impacts aligned to international reporting frameworks such as the Taskforce on Nature Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).
The collaboration aims to build trust in nature-related reporting by aligning with global disclosure frameworks like the TNFD and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. By using publicly available data and co-designed metrics, the project supports organisations in tracking nature-positive outcomes and integrating environmental performance into strategic decision-making.
Our response
Co-developing scalable natural capital metrics with BHP
Building on previous work, the Pathways to Nature Positive initiative focuses on defining, developing and testing globally applicable, cost-effective methods for measuring nature-related outcomes.
Key activities include:
- Developing metrics across the SEEA ecosystem condition typology to better evaluate responsible land management.
- Expanding metrics to assess nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities.
- Applying and validating these metrics across geographies globally.
- Disseminating findings through open-access reports, peer-reviewed publications, and industry workshops.
The project is designed to support corporate capacity building, align with international frameworks like TNFD and GBF Target 15, and promote transparency and consistency in natural capital reporting
The project will deliver a suite of tested, publicly available tools and frameworks to support companies to credibly measure their contribution to global efforts to halt and reverse nature loss.