The increasing loss of biodiversity has caused great concern across the globe, and this has led to the recognition that governments, civil society, individuals, and the private sector will need to make their contributions to stemming the loss. The Global Goal for Nature, set by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) aims to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, measured from a baseline of 2020, and achieve full recovery by 2050.

It proposes a vision of a world where the future state of nature — including biodiversity, ecosystem services and natural capital — is greater than its current state, to ensure the health of people, the planet, and the economy.

The collective effort to deliver the Global Goal is characterised as Nature Positive. Many organisations have come together under the Nature Positive Initiative to agree on how these contributions can be made. Momentum to deliver Nature Positive contributions has shown substantial growth recently. However, in order to ensure that everyone is able to identify and deliver contributions that clearly support the Global Goal, these contributions require an assessment process that ensures they are verifiable and scientifically robust.

To fill this need, IUCN, through its partners, members, and scientific commissions, and in collaboration with the Nature Positive Initiative, has developed the Measuring Nature Positive approach. This provides governments, companies, and civil society organisations with an integrated science-based approach to commit, set targets, measure and monitor progress towards the Global Goal for Nature, based on IUCN data and standards on biodiversity such as the Red List of Threatened Species. The aim of the approach is to deliver actions that (1) reduce threats to species and (2) conserve and restore ecosystems for biodiversity recovery.

IUCN's approach is initially focused on the contributions that can be made by the private sector. Companies have substantial impacts on biodiversity, but most lack scientifically robust means to identify, set and deliver targets for species and ecosystems, in line with Global Goal for Nature. IUCN's approach will enable companies to make meaningful, measurable, and verifiable contributions to the Global Goal for Nature. It is consistent with the methods and metrics being developed by the Science-Based Targets for Nature (SBTN) and as recommended by the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosure (TNFD) framework, the approach will enable companies to report and disclose progress.

To achieve the Nature Positive outcome and strengthen the long-term resilience of their operations, companies must think and act beyond their direct operational footprint, encompassing supply chain and end-of-life impacts.

Depending on their sectors and activities, not all companies have the same capacity to make or influence nature positive actions, nor the same quality and accuracy of information on the source of their products. IUCN proposes pathways for three types of companies according to their ability to influence or make nature positive decisions:

• Category A: companies whose activities directly affect land-use and biodiversity and can make informed decisions to manage impacts. Examples include the infrastructure sector, renewable energy developers, primary agricultural and logging commodity producers, extractive industries, among others.
• Category B: companies who need to work across their supply chain to influence nature positive decisions such as processors, traders, manufacturers, and retailers.
• Category C: companies in the finance sector can influence category A and B businesses in their portfolio and advance nature positive choices with incentives. Therefore, the approach recommends these companies screen and score investees according to their progress along the Nature-Positive pathway.

A consultation process to review the IUCN Measuring Nature Positive approach with IUCN members, governments, civil society, partners, and the private sector has just concluded. Following the close of the consultation, the final version of our proposed approach will be published in the second half of 2024. Tools and guidance to help companies apply the approach are under development and will be accessible early in 2025.

IUCN is delighted to count Keidanren and the Keidanren Committee on Nature Conservation (KCNC) as a member and strategic partner for almost 30 years. We were delighted to host a strong delegation from Keidanren, including more than 10 member companies, at the 2023 IUCN Leaders Forum, during which we consulted Keidanren on this approach. Keidanren's participation in this consultation builds on our longstanding collaboration, including through a current project which has supported the increased use of our Contributions for Nature platform in Asia.

Through upcoming convenings such as the 2024 IUCN Leaders Forum, we look forward to working further with Keidanren and its member companies to advance Japanese businesses' contributions to delivering the Global Goal for Nature.

(Source: "A Global Goal for Nature", Nature Positive Initiative)