Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity in the Netherlands and worldwide is declining rapidly. This loss poses a major threat to humanity. The biodiversity loss must be reversed if we are to keep our society and economy healthy and safe.
Dutch public and private organisations have a major impact on biodiversity both at home and abroad through production and consumption. ABN AMRO and the Impact Institute estimate the damage to biodiversity at €40 billion per year.
Globally, according to calculations by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), Dutch banks, insurers and pension funds have €510 billion in outstanding financing to companies with a high or very high dependence on one or more ecosystem services.
DNB warns of the economic risks if no action is taken on biodiversity. The European Central Bank (ECB) also recognises the significant economic and financial impacts of the degradation of nature.
Business operations and ambition
Many companies and organisations have incorporated policies and objectives into their business operations to improve biodiversity or reduce negative impacts.
To select effective measures that protect biodiversity, they need indicators. However, few indicators are available to measure the state of biodiversity and assess the effects of implemented measures in conjunction.
Additional impetus from politics and government
The European Commission is taking a leading role in reversing biodiversity loss. The Nature Restoration Regulation has been one of the most important pieces of legislation since 2024. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) has also been introduced on the basis of the European Green Deal.
The CSRD is a directive that obliges large organisations to report standardised sustainability information. This includes information on the positive and negative effects of their activities on biodiversity.
To provide politicians, government bodies and organisations with standardised sustainability information, the Biodiversiteit in Beeld (BiB) project will develop a scientifically sound and cost-effective measurement strategy for determining the state of biodiversity. This includes generating data that can be used for CSRD reporting.