XNatura Score: 3Bee's Biodiversity Monitoring Protocol

In 2023, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) came into force, significantly expanding sustainability reporting obligations for European companies. This legislation requires companies to provide detailed information on environmental, social and governance (ESG) impacts, promoting greater transparency and accountability. In this context, 3Bee has developed XNatura, an innovative terrestrial biodiversity monitoring protocol based on advanced bioacoustic and remote sensing technologies.

The XNatura protocol, developed by 3Bee, whose application is verified by Bureau Veritas Italia, a leading provider of certification services, is the first protocol to allow the technological monitoring of biodiversity. The XNatura Biodiversity Monitoring protocol was developed by 3Bee with the active collaboration of the Council for Agricultural Research and Analysis of Agricultural Economics in Bologna (CREA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the University of Turin and the University of Naples Federico II.

3Bee's XNatura biodiversity monitoring protocol aims to demonstrate and reward the commitment of companies to environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation by involving the private sector in the creation of an extensive monitoring network. It also offers the opportunity to make the data collected anonymous and freely available to research organisations, academic institutions, and other entities for use in scientific research, fostering collaboration and driving impactful environmental solutions.

The use of 3Bee's XNatura protocol for biodiversity monitoring allows for a score between 0 and 100, where each point represents an action or biodiversity indicator. The scores are divided into three categories: None (0-54), Basic (55-84) and Biodiversity Plus (85-100). If a minimum score of 55 is achieved, the site or product produced there will receive an award, which can be communicated through a label confirming the company's commitment to biodiversity conservation and sustainable practices.

Thanks to the XNatura biodiversity monitoring protocol, at the end of 2023 3Bee was selected by the European Council as one of three Italian companies for innovation in the EIC Accelerator. This recognition is particularly significant considering that only 5% of the 648 European companies that submitted proposals during the selection phase in June 2023 were awarded funding. This innovative methodology has allowed 3Bee to win "grant first" funding and be recognised by the EU as a company capable of developing biodiversity credits through a scalable and scientific framework.