How can integrating biodiversity concerns improve your project outcomes?

1 Why biodiversity matters

Biodiversity provides a range of ecosystem services that support human livelihoods, health, and security. These include food, water, materials, medicines, pollination, pest control, climate regulation, soil formation, and cultural values. By conserving and enhancing biodiversity, you can help maintain and improve these services for your project beneficiaries and stakeholders, as well as for future generations. Moreover, you can avoid or minimize the negative impacts of your project on biodiversity, such as habitat loss, fragmentation, degradation, invasion, and extinction.

4 How to communicate and report on your biodiversity performance

Communicating and reporting on your biodiversity performance is an essential way to demonstrate your commitment and accountability to project stakeholders and the public. It can also help you gain insight from experiences and improve practices. To communicate and report on your biodiversity performance, you should employ clear and consistent indicators and metrics to measure impacts, dependencies, actions, and results. Frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Natural Capital Protocol (NCP), or the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Programme (BBOP) can guide indicator selection and reporting. Additionally, compelling stories and narratives are useful for illustrating challenges and achievements, as well as lessons and recommendations. Formats such as case studies, testimonials, or infographics can effectively convey messages and evidence in an engaging manner. Furthermore, appropriate channels such as the media, web, social media, or events should be used to reach target audiences. Strategies like branding, marketing, or advocacy can be employed to tailor communication to meet goals.

5 How to get started and improve your biodiversity integration

Integrating biodiversity concerns into your project may seem daunting and complex, but it is not impossible or impractical. To begin, review your existing project documents and plans to identify where and how you can incorporate biodiversity aspects and considerations. Additionally, a quick and simple biodiversity assessment or audit can help you identify your main biodiversity impacts and dependencies, as well as your gaps and opportunities. Furthermore, consulting with your project team and stakeholders, as well as seeking guidance and support from experts and practitioners, can assist in accessing relevant resources and tools that can help you with your biodiversity integration process and outcomes. Integrating biodiversity concerns into your project is not only a responsibility, but also an opportunity. Doing so can improve your project outcomes in terms of social, environmental, and economic benefits, while contributing to the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity for the common good.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?