What is a Biodiversity Action Plan?

Biodiversity, defined as the variety of life on Earth encompassing species, ecosystems, and genetic differences, is fundamental to the planet's and our own health. It underpins ecosystem services such as pollination, water purification, and climate regulation, which are essential for human survival and economic activities. But in order to save biodiversity, we need a robust Biodiversity Action Plan. Creating a Biodiversity Action Plan is an essential step for businesses to build a clear roadmap towards their biodiversity goals.

‍

The Importance of Biodiversity to Businesses

‍

But first, we need to understand the value of nature. Biodiversity's significance goes beyond environmental health, it directly impacts business operations and profitability. According to the World Economic Forum, $44 trillion of economic value generation – over half the world’s total GDP – is moderately or highly dependent on nature and its services and, as a result, exposed to risks from nature loss. Industries like agriculture, forestry, and fisheries rely heavily on diverse biological resources. For instance, the agricultural sector depends on pollinators, which contribute an estimated $235 to $577 billion annually to global food production.

‍

Impacts of Biodiversity Loss on Businesses

‍

Biodiversity loss poses several risks to businesses:

• Operational Risks: The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report ranks biodiversity loss as the second most severe global risk for the next decade. Degradation of ecosystems can lead to resource scarcity. For example, deforestation can result in water shortages, affecting manufacturing processes.
• Regulatory Risks: Governments worldwide are implementing stricter environmental regulations. In the UK, the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) law requires new developments to enhance biodiversity by at least 10% over pre-development levels, impacting project planning and execution. The EU Nature Restoration Law mandates ecosystem restoration across 20% of EU land and marine areas by 2030, affecting industries like agriculture, forestry, and construction. In Brazil the Forest Code requires landowners in the Amazon to maintain 35%-80% of their land as native vegetation, impacting agriculture, logging, and real estate.
• Reputational Risks: Consumers and investors are increasingly favouring companies with strong environmental credentials. A 2023 report by McKinsey & Company found that products making ESG claims experienced 28% growth over five years, compared to 20% for products without claims. The EY Global Institutional Investor Survey 2024 revealed that investors are increasingly incorporating ESG factors into their decision-making processes, reflecting a growing interest in corporate sustainability performance. It’s becoming clear that failure to address biodiversity impacts can lead to loss of market share and investment.

‍

What is a Biodiversity Action Plan?

‍

A Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) is a strategic framework that clearly outlines how an organisation intends to conserve and enhance biodiversity within its operations and areas of influence. It involves assessing current biodiversity values, identifying potential impacts, setting measurable conservation targets, and showcasing a clear pathway to achieve these goals. A well-crafted BAP ensures compliance with environmental regulations, mitigates risks, and demonstrates corporate responsibility.

‍

A Rough Guide on How to Make a Biodiversity Action Plan

‍

1. Baseline Assessment

A successful BAP begins with a clear and comprehensive baseline assessment, a foundational step that defines how biodiversity will be measured across relevant project areas. This includes identifying the scope and scale of the baseline, whether at a local site level, regional landscape or international level. The baseline should outline the specific types of assessments, data sources, and monitoring methods required to build an accurate picture of existing biodiversity. This could involve:

• Species inventories
• Habitat mapping
• Ecological health assessments
• Remote sensing or satellite imagery
• Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling

‍

Establishing this baseline provides a reference point to assess future impacts and track progress toward biodiversity goals. A strong baseline ensures that all conservation actions are grounded in data and aligned with the level at which biodiversity matters most to the business and its stakeholders.

‍

2. Impact Identification

‍

With a biodiversity baseline in place, the next step is to identify and assess how your organisation’s activities impact nature. These impacts can be direct (e.g., land clearing) or indirect (e.g., supply chain decisions), and should be evaluated across operations, products, and value chains. To align with global standards such as those from IPBES, impacts should be categorised under five key drivers of biodiversity loss:

1. Climate Change
2. Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to ecosystem disruption, altered species distributions, and loss of habitat resilience.
3. Pollution
4. Includes chemical runoff, air and water pollution, plastic waste, noise, and light pollution — all of which degrade ecosystems and harm wildlife.
5. Land and Sea Use Change
6. Activities such as deforestation, urban expansion, infrastructure development, and marine habitat alteration that fragment or eliminate natural ecosystems.
7. Overexploitation of Species
8. Unsustainable practices like overfishing, illegal logging, or excessive water withdrawal that deplete species and natural resources beyond regeneration capacity.
9. Invasive Species
10. Introduction of non-native species through trade, travel, or transport, which disrupt local ecosystems and threaten native biodiversity.

‍

Understanding and mapping these impact categories within your operations, and supply chains, is critical for setting meaningful biodiversity goals and mitigating nature-related risks.

‍

3. Set Measurable and Science-Based Biodiversity Goals

‍

Establish clear, measurable objectives to track the changes to biodiversity, and even implement nature-positive goals. Businesses should set targets aligned with global biodiversity frameworks such as the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and Science-Based Targets for Nature (SBTN). Goals can be made from these frameworks, for example:

• Nature-Positive Commitments: Aim to achieve a net-positive impact on biodiversity.
• No Net Loss Goals: Ensure that any biodiversity loss is fully offset by conservation efforts.
• Restoration Targets: Commit to habitat restoration (e.g., reforesting degraded land, reintroducing native species).
• Biodiversity Risk Reduction: Reduce pollution, waste, and supply chain impacts.

‍

4. Develop and Implement Biodiversity Actions

‍

To meet biodiversity goals, businesses need to implement targeted conservation and mitigation measures. These include:

Direct Conservation Actions:

• Habitat Preservation & Restoration: Protecting intact ecosystems and restoring degraded habitats to maintain or increase biodiversity and ecosystem functionality.
• Species Protection: Establishing wildlife corridors that facilitate connectivity and genetic diversity; implementing evidence-based interventions to reduce human-wildlife conflict, such as fencing, wildlife crossings, and community education.
• Sustainable Agriculture & Forestry: Adopting regenerative agriculture and reforestation with native species.

‍

Operational Improvements:

• Pollution Reduction: Implementing waste management programs and cutting pesticide use.
• Sustainable Supply Chains: Partnering with certified sustainable suppliers (e.g., FSC-certified timber, RSPO palm oil, Rainforest Alliance certification).
• Sustainable Water Management:  Applying water conservation techniques to minimise withdrawals, improve efficiency, and mitigate impacts on freshwater ecosystems; implementing advanced wastewater treatment technologies to maintain aquatic biodiversity.

‍

Offsetting and Regenerative Initiatives:

• Biodiversity Offsetting: Employing scientifically validated methods to offset unavoidable biodiversity impacts through equivalent or greater restoration or protection efforts elsewhere, ensuring measurable, additional, and permanent outcomes.
• Verified Carbon & Biodiversity Credits: Investing in verified offset projectswhich explicitly demonstrate benefits to biodiversity conservation.

‍

5. Monitor, Report, and Improve

‍

Biodiversity strategies must be regularly monitored, analysed and updated to ensure effectiveness, and compliance with frameworks. Xylo Systems is a comprehensive platform that analyses biodiversity data, tracks changes over time, provides actionable recommendations, and generates reports aligned with global frameworks and ESG standards.

‍

Our platform is designed to make biodiversity monitoring smarter, faster, and more impactful for companies. By continuously tracking biodiversity data and detecting changes using ground-truthing techniques like  eDNA, we empower businesses to understand the real-time outcomes of their actions.

‍

But data alone isn’t enough. We don’t just analyse biodiversity, we translate complex ecological information into clear, tailored recommendations that help businesses in their first step to developing BAPs. Our reports are aligned with global frameworks like GBF, TNFD, SBTN, and BNG, ensuring companies can meet growing disclosure requirements with ease and transparency. Improving biodiversity is an ongoing journey. Xylo Systems empowers companies with the right information to continuously refine their strategies, integrate nature into their operations, and lead with purpose.

‍

How Xylo Systems Develops Biodiversity Action Plans for Customers

‍

At Xylo Systems, we specialise in transforming complex biodiversity data into actionable insights, enabling businesses to make informed decisions. Our approach includes:

• Rapid Assessments: Utilising advanced technology, we conduct biodiversity assessments and deliver comprehensive reports in just 30 minutes, allowing for swift decision-making.
• Data Integration: Our platform aggregates global biodiversity datasets, including Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT), and applies advanced algorithms to identify impact hotspots, providing a clear understanding of biodiversity values and risks.
• Customised Recommendations: We offer tailored, science-backed recommendations aligned with global frameworks, guiding businesses in implementing effective conservation actions.
• Efficient Reporting: Our system streamlines data processing and reporting, reducing the time required from months to minutes, facilitating compliance with regulatory requirements.

‍

By partnering with Xylo Systems, businesses can effectively integrate biodiversity considerations into their strategies, ensuring compliance, enhancing reputation, and contributing positively to global conservation efforts.