Field Notes Newsletter #2 - Corporate Nature Reporting: Why it's Difficult and How it's Changing

By Mana Starosta

Driven by new policy developments aimed at addressing the global biodiversity crisis, companies around the world are beginning (or intensifying) the crucial work of measuring, understanding, and mitigating their impact on nature. This environmental accounting is key to corporate sustainability efforts, but what challenges exist in obtaining and interpreting nature data, and what progress is being made to bring clarity to the process?

The rapidly evolving nature reporting landscape 

Human enterprise both depends on and shapes the natural world. With half of the world’s GDP (or $58 trillion of economic value) moderately or highly dependent on nature, considering nature is critical to businesses that want to be environmentally and financially sustainable. The pressure on companies to address this interdependence and mitigate risks is coming from top-down and bottom-up: environmentally conscious consumers are increasingly scrutinising corporate environmental practices, while investors and other key stakeholders are pressuring organisations to demonstrate genuine commitments to nature-positive outcomes.

This was made evident in PwC’s Global Investor Survey 2023 that revealed “75% of respondents … want to know the impact a company is having on society and the environment”.

The sustainability reporting ecosystem has developed dramatically in recent years. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), finalised in 2023, made it mandatory for EU companies to report on biodiversity and ecosystems, while the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN), launched around the same time, introduced voluntary targets for nature. The Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) is the latest voluntary reporting framework bringing nature to the forefront of an evolving sustainability reporting landscape.

Image by TNFD visualising the metrics and disclosure landscape (https://tnfd.global/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Recommendations-of-the-Taskforce-on-Nature-related-Financial-Disclosures.pdf?v=1734112245)

Obstacles to measuring corporate biodiversity impacts

While demand from corporations has never been higher, challenges remain when it comes to gathering and interpreting nature-related data. In order to collect data, companies need to know what data to collect. However, many organisations lack the resources and/or ‘business intelligence’ around their operations to 1) collect data on the right metrics and 2) interpret this data accurately in order to make informed decisions. This challenge is exacerbated for companies with complex supply chains and common barriers can be observed across TNFD reporting, CSRD reporting and other reporting frameworks which incorporate nature-related considerations.

In order to assess their impact, companies measure ‘state of nature’ metrics which are relevant to a wide range of frameworks (including TNFD and CSRD).

The ‘state of nature’ is defined by TNFD as “the condition and extent of ecosystems and species population size and extinction risk, and changes to these”.

However, once companies determine which metrics are relevant to their business, there remains the issue of data availability and quality. In fact, beyond a knowledge gap there is a well established data gap when it comes to up-to-date, reliable, and detailed nature data. 

Finally, the complexity of quantifying nature poses significant methodological challenges which also account for the absence of a universal metric/standard for measuring nature - another commonly reported obstacle.

Towards a universal set of metrics

Although no universal metric or standard exists, there is no shortage of meaningful metrics to assess. Moreover, it is widely understood that a single metric to measure the ‘state of nature’ would be insufficient to capture biodiversity insights that are both regionally specific and appropriate for the business context/decision-making needs. 

As such, rather than selecting a single metric, companies need a ‘basket of metrics’ that reflect the complexity of nature, rather than simplifying it into a single figure. 

One organisation leading the effort to establish a consensus on a universal set of metrics is the Nature Positive Initiative (NPI). Following months of engagement with more than 100 stakeholders, they have developed aligned ‘State of Nature' metrics for terrestrial ecosystems which provide a checklist of metrics. This includes four indicators all organisations, regardless of their business/operations, should measure and additional case-specific indicators. 

Now the NPI is looking to test these metrics through their global piloting programme. Their project is overseeing partnerships between major international organisations like TNFD, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), SBTN, and WWF, and businesses from a diverse range of sectors. 

The silver lining

While challenges lie ahead for companies complying with ever-evolving and maturing reporting frameworks, the strong appetite for nature data and the eagerness to comply is indicative of the growing momentum behind achieving international biodiversity targets. Indeed, over 1,700 organisations are already members of the TNFD forum and there were over 530 adopters across the world as of March 2025. 

Simultaneously, technological advances have made it so that we are now able to measure nature with greater accuracy and speed than ever before. It is evident that we possess the tools required to assess nature but there is work left to be done in selecting the best method to meaningfully track our progress towards ‘halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030’. 

LanzaJet, Gentian, and RAW Biofuels Collaborate on Global State of Nature Metrics Pilot Program

LanzaJet has been selected as one of just 32 global teams to participate in the Nature Positive Initiative’s 2025 State of Nature Metrics Pilot Program. Chosen from hundreds of applicants, LanzaJet joins Gentian and RAW Biofuels as the only renewable fuel organisations in the cohort, aiming to test a new framework of universal State of Nature metrics.

With nature-based risks (from biodiversity loss to water stress) posing mounting financial and operational threats, the pilot will explore how companies can measure and manage their reliance on ecosystems. Each partner brings a unique capability: LanzaJet’s Alcohol-to-Jet technology is decarbonizing aviation; Gentian applies AI and satellite imagery to assess ecological risk; and RAW Biofuels cultivates high-yield Hybrid Tropical Grass for carbon-negative fuels.

Together, they’ll trial how State of Nature metrics can improve transparency and regenerative outcomes across renewable fuel supply chains, supporting emerging standards like TNFD, SBTN, and GRI. “Nature-based solutions will be absolutely central in achieving global climate goals,” said Daniel Bloch, Director of Strategic Partnerships at LanzaJet. “The pilot program plays directly into the growing understanding from business and governments alike that all sustainability and carbon goals are inextricably linked with ecosystem health”.

Mangroves Matter: A Global Call to Action

By Charles Bouqueuniaux

In July, two key events – COP15 of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem – underscored the growing urgency to protect mangroves. 

These salt-tolerant forests are among our most valuable ecosystems, providing coastal protection, fish nurseries, and vast carbon storage capacity. They play a key role in the blue carbon cycle — referring to the carbon that is stored and sequestered by coastal and marine ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes.

Despite their importance, over 30% of global mangrove cover has been lost in the past 50 years. Direct threats like aquaculture, coastal development, pollution, and climate change continue to degrade these ecosystems. 

The carbon impact is profound: mangroves sequester carbon up to ten times faster than rainforests, and their soils hold billions of tonnes of carbon. Their destruction releases vast stores of “blue carbon,” contributing significantly to global emissions. Despite conservation gains slowing annual loss, over half of all mangrove ecosystems are now at risk of collapse.

At Gentian, we’re helping turn the tide. Our AI-driven remote sensing tools are now supporting mangrove monitoring and restoration across the Caribbean and beyond. By providing rapid, high-resolution ecological assessments, we’re empowering communities and conservationists with the data they need to plan, protect, and restore these vital ecosystems.

More from Gentian:

• Navigating the Mandates: A Guide to TNFD Framework and CSRD Compliance with Gentian's Precision Data
• The Future of Sustainable Finance: Biodiversity Scoring in ESG
• Under Pressure: The Human Threats to Mangroves
  

We invite you to join us as we navigate this critical space and share knowledge that empowers action. To receive Field Notes directly in your inbox, sign up via the form below: