IUCN input to the scoping process of the IPBES business and biodiversity assessment

This new IPBES process could greatly contribute to mainstreaming biodiversity in business by including an independent assessment of how much biodiversity has been effectively integrated/mainstream in business, with a focus on operations, using not only response indicators (i.e. looking at processes such as management systems, certification, corporate reporting etc), but also at actual changes on the ground (i.e. focus on the state of biodiversity and changes in pressures). For example, the analysis could explore what have been the biodiversity gains associated to the many NPI commitments (especially reviewing their offset results); the contribution of certification systems to changes on the ground (there is more and more literature on certification schemes’ impacts due to the fact that this is now a key requirement for ISEAL’s members).

Another element of interest is the level of integration in businesses of sustainability aspects, and in particular biodiversity and climate change. We know that these two are intimately related (one being a pressure and the other being the state). However, still too often these are dealt by separate teams.

Furthermore, when assessing the use of metrics and indicators, it would be useful to group the metrics/tools based on their purpose. Metrics and indicators developed for reporting, or ESG rating, or corporate management, or site management will serve very different purposes and therefore their use should be clear (i.e. a reporting indicator is not well suited for site level management).  IUCN did a good analysis of the various indicators systems and tools and their "purpose" https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2018-049-En.pdf