Managing biodiversity: Measure performance
Measuring changes in your business' impact on biodiversity will help you to review and improve the way you protect and enhance biodiversity.
Certification schemes, standards and awards are available to measure your business' impact. You should choose the method that is the most cost-effective for your business.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
GRI is a membership organisation which uses its Sustainability Reporting Framework to simplify company disclosure on economic, environmental and social performance.
The framework contains biodiversity indicators, mostly relevant to habitat management. One indicator measures your business' indirect impacts on biodiversity, through the environmental performance of your suppliers and partners.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): Sustainability reporting framework
ISO 14001
ISO 14001 is an international accreditation standard for environmental management systems (EMS). Biodiversity is not always mentioned in a business's EMS. However it should be considered to measure what your business is doing to protect the environment and to avoid or mitigate risks of potential pollution, waste generation and energy use.
Your business' EMS should extend to its supply chain. Any raw materials you buy for your business will have had an impact on the natural environment during their extraction, production and transportation. See our guidelines:
Wildlife Trusts Biodiversity Benchmark
The Wildlife Trusts Biodiversity Benchmark is a scheme set up in line with ISO 14001, which awards organisations for their biodiversity improvements. To gain the Benchmark, you must have an EMS that includes biodiversity protection and enhancement, and must show evidence of continued improvement in performance and partnerships.
The Wildlife Trusts: Biodiversity benchmark
UK Bio-Reporting System
The UK Bio-Reporting System is a web-based information system that provides a standardised way to record Biodiversity Action Plan progress towards targets and actions. These records are available online, so stakeholders in your business and members of the public can find out about your business' performance in biodiversity conservation.