In recent years, stakeholder consideration of a company’s impact on the world has increased. Subsequently, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria have emerged to evaluate a company’s influence on the environment, its relationships with stakeholders, and its corporate management. Within the environmental leg of ESG, a company’s impact on biological diversity is a key consideration, as biodiversity is an essential characteristic of a thriving ecosystem that both public and private stakeholders rely on. A company’s impact (positive or negative) can ultimately affect its public reputation, brand value, and market share, and companies that do not manage biodiversity risks appropriately may face legal or regulatory challenges.
As this awareness grows, many companies are increasing their efforts to protect biodiversity by proactively minimizing potential environmental impacts and promoting sustainability throughout their portfolio. At EHS Support, our multidisciplinary team of ecologists and data scientists has developed an innovative approach to identify and assess biodiversity values and potential risks to those values, whether for a single facility or portfolio wide. This innovative approach identifies material risks to biodiversity that may warrant consideration and potential action to address, helping clients decide where to focus efforts.
Our Approach to Biodiversity Risk Assessment
Our process starts with an initial screening assessment to identify biodiversity values through an approach that leverages geospatial data for special status species (i.e., rare, threatened, or endangered species) and key habitats, such as areas of high biodiversity, protected areas, and critical habitats. Geospatial data from public data sources, including global databases and country or region-specific databases, are managed within a web application to facilitate management and periodic review.
We then consider how a facility’s current and anticipated future operations might overlap with these biodiversity values within its area of influence and conduct an assessment of potential risk to those biodiversity values from operations. EHS Support reviews the information gathered from the screening assessment, as well as pertinent site-specific information as part of the assessment process. Sources of site-specific information may include:
- Existing risk assessments (biodiversity, water, or climate)
- Flora and fauna surveys
- Ecosystem service evaluations
- Biodiversity and ecosystem service action plans
This detailed review deepens our understanding of the biodiversity values at each site in the context of facility operations, allowing for location-specific risk assessment. The risk assessment process identifies, characterizes, and evaluates known potential risks and impacts to biodiversity, ultimately assigning a relative risk level and determining materiality of each risk.
When is a Risk Considered “Material”?
We determine whether a risk to biodiversity is material using a relative risk matrix, combined with our professional expertise and knowledge of the biodiversity values being assessed. Material risks may exist where:
- There are legal requirements to protect biodiversity.
- Threatened species or listed ecological communities are affected by operations.
- Sensitive ecosystems, such as wetlands or mangroves, are affected by operations.
- Adjacent lands are managed primarily for conservation (e.g., RAMSAR sites, national reserves).
This process allows us to assess the potential impact of both current and anticipated future facility operations, enabling you to locate, evaluate, and prepare for nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities.
Centralized Management with a Digital Dashboard
At EHS Support, we believe in providing data that is transparent, actionable, and intuitive. A key component of our biodiversity assessment approach is the centralized, web-based dashboard that houses information gathered from the initial screening assessment and comprehensive risk assessment.
This user-friendly dashboard provides a centralized platform to facilitate portfolio management of biodiversity compliance, offer information access to stakeholders, and track periodic reviews. It also serves as an essential reference tool, helping you manage potential risks as facility operations continue to evolve over time. Since the dashboard is a dynamic tool, we can easily add new features, incorporate new data, and update assessments as needed.
How EHS Support Can Help
By integrating these powerful data sources with our innovative assessment approach and team’s ecological expertise, we can build a detailed picture of the biodiversity landscape surrounding your operations and identify where potential risks to biodiversity may exist, enabling you to be proactive in managing biodiversity and potential risks. This foundational knowledge is crucial for making informed, responsible decisions that protect our shared ecosystem services while supporting your ESG and sustainability goals and operational objectives. Additionally, considering your company’s influence on biodiversity and developing a strong ESG position can nurture your company’s long-term success. EHS Support can help you define ESG for your company with this understanding in mind and support related climate and sustainability disclosure efforts.
For more information on how our biodiversity assessment services can support your land development, infrastructure, mineral resource and extraction, and remediation projects, please contact Catharine Parker or Greg Murphy.
