Extent of land/freshwater ecosystem use change (since cutoff date)
Unit
Indicator
Metric type
Framework alignment notes
Target example
[Company name] will have zero deforestation and conversion of natural ecosystems in [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
Sector
Value chain stage
Metric assessment
Relevance: High
Feasibility: High
Additional Metric Notes
Rationale
- These metrics can serve as a proxy for sourcing companies to assess compliance or non-compliance within a landscape, thereby helping to evaluate the risk of sourcing from these areas. Total area may be disaggregated by relevant designations, such as High Carbon Stock (HCS) forests or areas with High Conservation Values (HCVs). The scope should include both natural ecosystem conversion and deforestation, across direct operations and the supply chain. Metrics may be further split by ecosystem type or business activity. Per TNFD sector guidance: “Agriculture-driven terrestrial natural ecosystem conversion, including, at least, conversion of primary forests, other naturally regenerating (second growth) forests, savannahs, grasslands, and freshwater natural ecosystems, linked to land owned, leased, operated, financed or sourced from.”
- The recommended cutoff date, according to SBTN guidance, is 2020, unless local requirements are more stringent.
Additional/complementary metrics
- Disaggregation by ecosystem type (esp. forest vs non-forest native vegetation)
- Legal vs illegal conversion (where jusridiction allows for legal conversion)
- Avoided conversion of natural ecosystems