GRI introduces new biodiversity standard

The GRI 304: Biodiversity 2016 has been replaced by the GRI 101: Biodiversity 2024, recently published by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). This update is designed to assist businesses and organisations globally in ensuring full transparency about their most relevant impacts in terms of biodiversity, both directly in their own operations and along the entire value chain. The demand for information on the impacts on biodiversity from stakeholders is growing steadily: the GRI Biodiversity Standard fits into this context, enabling companies to meet this demand.

The GRI Biodiversity Standard offers:
- Full transparency along the supply chain, especially in areas where the most critical impacts on biodiversity may not be reported
-Detailed reporting on location-specific impacts, including countries and jurisdictions, with detailed information on the location and size of operational sites
- New information on the direct causes of the biodiversity loss, such as the climate-change, land use, resource exploitation, the invasive (non-native) species and pollution
- Requirements for the reporting of impacts on society, including communities and indigenous peoples, and how organisations interact with local groups for the recovery of damaged habitats
- This standard will come into force from 1 January 2026 and its implementation will be subject to review by the GRI over the next two years.

The alarming decline of biodiversity in recent decades threatens to bring disastrous consequences for the environment and people, also triggering knock-on effects on climate change. The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted in 2022 the "Global Biodiversity Framework", the new post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. This envisages a series of collective actions to combat biodiversity loss, e.g. the sustainable management of agricultural areas, the reduction of global food waste by half, and a significant reduction in overconsumption and waste generation. Both governments and businesses are therefore called upon to demonstrate responsibility in responding to the biodiversity crisis. The revision of GRI 304: Biodiversity 2016 aims to reflect global best practices on biodiversity management to support companies in addressing their impacts.

The work of the GRI in the revision of Standard 304: Biodiversity 2016 is integrated within the international framework. Indeed, the Global Reporting Initiative also built on what was done by the United Nations Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) Kunming-Montreal, the Science Based Target Network (SBTN) and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). As we said, GRI Standard 101 will be formally in place for reporting as of 1 January 2026, but over the next two years, GRI will experiment with the use of the standard, which will be subject to review. As Carol Adams, Chair of the GRI Global Sustainability Standards Board, stated, "the updated GRI standard establishes a new level of transparency about impacts on biodiversity. It will support detailed, location-specific reporting, ensuring that stakeholders can assess how impacts on biodiversity are mitigated and reduced."

The commitment of 3Bee with reference to GRI 101 is measurable and traceable thanks to IoT technology and the installation of more than 5,000 devices aimed at real-time monitoring of the biometric data of pollinators. In addition, 3Bee mapped 250,000 hectares of land in order to provide a detailed overview of low-biodiversity areas to trigger regeneration projects. 3Bee was recognised by the European Union as a development partner of the first certified biodiversity credits thanks to XNatura, the innovative terrestrial biodiversity monitoring protocol based on bioacoustics and remote sensing. This methodology is in line with the CSRD Directive and the Nature Restoration Law and will enable companies to monitor, mitigate and validate their impact on biodiversity. Would you like to learn more and start on the path to biodiversity with your company?