Biodiversity and nature
Nature risk has two faces: the dependence of economies and communities on ecosystem services that are declining, and the impact of economic activity that drives that decline; both now have disclosure frameworks, and neither is yet well measured.
- 01In briefThe short answer
- 02Three mandatesThe field, seen three ways
- 03The systemic questionDependencies, impacts and tipping behaviour
- 04FrameworksAgreements, assessments and disclosure
- 05CouplingsWhere nature loss lands
- 06GroundingThe methods behind the field
- 07Key termsTerms used on this page
GCRI · Institution · service level R0
The short answer.
Biodiversity and nature as a field of risk covers the condition of ecosystems and species, the services people draw from them and the risks that their loss creates for societies and economies. In the Nexus Consortium it is studied as science at GCRI by Biodiversity Nexus as well as Oceans and Coasts, governed at GRF by Climate and Nature Governance, and understood financially at GRA by Asset Management Nexus as well as Climate and Nature Financial Risk; this gateway links those platforms and the methods they share.
Landscapes and remoteness in Indonesia.
Mountain ranges, deserts, wetlands, glaciers and reefs, and how remote each division is from large cities, shown for Indonesia as an example geography for this subject.
The field, seen three ways.
Dependencies, impacts and tipping behaviour.
Pollination, water regulation, soil formation and coastal protection are inputs that markets rarely price until they fail. The IPBES Global Assessment identified land and sea use change, direct exploitation, climate change, pollution and invasive species as the main direct drivers of decline. Ecosystems can respond nonlinearly, so a slow pressure can end in an abrupt loss of function.
| Concept | Where it is defined |
|---|---|
| Dependencies and impacts on nature | TNFD LEAP approach (Locate, Evaluate, Assess, Prepare) |
| Ecosystem condition and service flows | UN SEEA Ecosystem Accounting |
| Ecosystem types | IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology |
| Global targets | Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework |
Agreements, assessments and disclosure.
| Framework or body | What it governs or supplies |
|---|---|
| Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework | Global targets including protection of land and sea and business disclosure of nature-related risks |
| IPBES assessments (Global, Nexus, Transformative Change) | Assessed evidence on drivers, interactions and options |
| TNFD recommendations | Market framework for nature-related disclosure, aligned in structure with ISSB |
| UN SEEA Ecosystem Accounting | Statistical standard for ecosystem extent, condition and services |
Where nature loss lands.
- Water: forests and wetlands regulate flow and quality.
- Food: pollination and soil health.
- Oceans: fisheries and coastal protection from reefs and mangroves.
- Markets: nature-related financial risk and disclosure.
The science sits on Biodiversity Nexus; methods start from ecology.
The methods behind the field.
- Ecology and biodiversity science
- Earth observation and remote sensing
- Spatial statistics and geostatistics
- Geospatial information systems
- Complex systems and agent-based modelling
- Causal inference and impact evaluation
- Hydrology and water science
- Ocean and coastal science
- Extreme value theory and tail risk
- Earth and geophysical science
- Water and environmental engineering
- Climate and atmospheric science
- Policy, institutional and decision science
- Agricultural, soil and food science
- Financial economics and macro-finance
- Financial and risk engineering
- Scenario design and stress testing
- Econometrics
Terms used on this page.
Each term as this page uses it. Where a standard-setting body defines the term, the wording follows that body.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Biodiversity | The variability among living organisms from all sources, including diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems, as the Convention on Biological Diversity defines it. |
| Ecosystem services | The contributions ecosystems make to human well-being, such as pollination, flood regulation, clean water, food and cultural value. |
| Nature-related risk | Risk to an organisation or economy arising from its dependencies and impacts on nature, as the TNFD recommendations frame it. |
| Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework | The framework adopted under the CBD with goals for 2050 and targets for 2030 to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. |
Where this page's references lead.
The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (CBD)
- IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
- IPBES Nexus Assessment (biodiversity, water, food, health, climate)
- TNFD recommendations and LEAP approach
- System of Environmental-Economic Accounting, Ecosystem Accounting (UN SEEA EA)
- IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology
Questions and answers.
Why does GCRI host field gateways?
Around GCRI.
Start with an enquiry.
The current service level is R0: information and enquiries. An enquiry receives a reference and names the next step; applications, payments, compute allocations and registrations open only when their team, terms and review capacity exist.