Extent of land/freshwater/ocean ecosystem use change by type of ecosystem and type of business activity
Unit
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The unit(s) of measurement applicable to the metric.
: Hectares (ha)
Indicator
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Indicators were developed by WBCSD. Learn more on the Methodology page.
: Area of land/freshwater/ocean-use change
Metric type
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The category of nature-related metrics. Learn more on the Methodology page.
: Pressure
Framework alignment notes
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The details of a metric’s alignment to each framework, including where the same or similar metric can be found within the listed framework.
TNFD C1.1: Extent of land/freshwater/ocean ecosystem use change (km2) by type of ecosystem and by type of business activity.
For EN/HB/: Land-use change reported under the core global disclosure metric should distinguish land-use changes by the land use before the development started: brownfield sites, undeveloped land, farmland, wetland etc.
For RE/RS: No further sector specific guidance, refer to the core global disclosure metric.
An organisation may provide information additional to the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (GET) to define the type of ecosystem they refer to, such as regional or local classifications.
For CM: In reporting the core global disclosure metric, land-use change should cover the gross area disturbed in the reporting period. This includes land in the exploration, development and production, or quarry/mine closure, and post-closure project phases.
GRI 101-6 Adapted from SITES v2 Rating System for Sustainable Land Design and Development. GRI includes extent and specification of ecosystem type before and after conversion of (1) natural ecosystem and (2) conversion from one intensively used or modified ecosystem to another.
SASB EM-CM-160a.2
EM-CM-160a.2
AWS - The physical scope of the site shall be mapped, considering the regulatory landscape and zone of stakeholder interests, including:
- Site boundaries;
- Water-related infrastructure, including piping network, owned or managed by the site or its parent organization;
- Any water sources providing water to the site that are owned or managed by the site or its parent organization;
- Water service provider (if applicable) and its ultimate water source;
- Discharge points and waste water service provider (if applicable) and ultimate receiving water body or bodies;
- Catchment(s) that the site affect(s) and is reliant upon for water."""
Target example
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An example target and the target source are presented to illustrate how a target could be set for this metric. Learn more on the Methodology page.
[Company name] will have zero conversion of natural ecosystems in its [target location(s)] by [2025, or earliest post-2025 date], compared with a 2020* cutoff year.
(* While the cutoff date of 2020 and the goal of no conversion is aligned both to science and international commitments and policies, the target date may differ based on implementation hurdles and local context.)
Target source: Adapted from SBTN Land Target
Metric assessment
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The relevance and feasibility scores were determined by WBCSD member companies. Learn more on the Methodology page.
Relevance:Medium
Feasibility:Medium
Additional Metric Notes
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More details or context about the metric not captured above.
ACT-D stage:
Assess
Maturity stage:
Developing
Metric Contribution to Action:
Tracking this metric helps identify and minimize harmful ecosystem alterations caused by business activities, enabling targeted actions to reduce environmental degradation.
Observations/Successes/Challenges:
> This metric is a state and pressure type of metric.
> Requires high-resolution, time-series geospatial data and classification of ecosystem types and business activities. E.g. Global Ecosystem Typology
> "Ecosystem use change" needs to be clearly defined—does it refer to habitat loss, conversion, degradation, or all of the above?
> Change over what period? Without a clear baseline and timeframe, tracking progress becomes difficult.
> This is a challenging metric to specify and measure, but within a process-based, continuous improvement approach, it is essential for defining the scope and boundaries of a site’s water stewardship activities. These boundaries should be guided by the materiality of both positive and negative impacts and risks across different ecosystem types and business activities.
Related actions
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The other actions that the metric is mapped to.
Support research and data for water and ecosystem management