Sustainability Accounting and Biodiversity Reporting

Sustainability accounting brings ecological values into business performance measurement by quantifying and disclosing impacts on natural systems. Within this field, biodiversity reporting focuses on how organisations assess, manage and communicate their effects and dependencies on species diversity and ecosystem services. Companies increasingly adopt frameworks that integrate biodiversity metrics alongside financial indicators, aiming to internalise environmental externalities and support decision-making aligned with global agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity. Advances in data collection, indicator development and risk assessment tools are driving greater transparency. However, challenges remain in setting science-based targets, harmonising methodologies across sectors and ensuring that reported commitments translate into measurable improvements in biodiversity outcomes.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Sustainability Accounting and Biodiversity Reporting publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in sustainability accounting and biodiversity reporting across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Biodiversity accounting: Systematic quantification and reporting of organisational impacts and dependencies on species diversity and ecosystems.

Natural capital accounting: Valuation of stocks and flows of natural resources in financial and non-financial reports.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework: A set of criteria used to guide and evaluate corporate sustainability performance, including environmental stewardship.

Nature-positive: Strategies that deliver net gains for biodiversity by exceeding baseline impacts through mitigation and restoration.

Extinction accounting: Measurement of corporate contributions to species preservation or loss, emphasising intrinsic ecological value.

References

1. Biodiversity accounting: a bibliometric analysis for comprehensive literature mapping. Sustainability Accounting Management and Policy Journal (2023).
2. The inclusion of biodiversity into Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework: A strategic integration of ecocentric extinction accounting. Journal of Environmental Management (2023).
3. Are corporate biodiversity commitments consistent with delivering ‘nature-positive’ outcomes? A review of ‘nature-positive’ definitions, company progress and challenges. Journal of Cleaner Production (2022).