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Nature blog

Views and insights from our nature experts on nature positivity, nature targets and sustainable living & planning!

March 29th 2023

No net loss city – one approach to tackle biodiversity loss 

Did you know that every ninth of Finnish species and half of habitat types are threatened? The efforts for improving biodiversity are needed now, and not in the distant future. In Finland, we are committed to the recent UN biodiversity contract and its goals. Both UN and EU, as well as Finland as a country, are targeting to halt the biodiversity loss by the year 2030. 

When it comes to cities and urban development, they are in essential role for achieving these targets. Some of the cities have even set up their own ambitious goals considering biodiversity, besides the ones declared by the state or unions. 

No net loss status is a desirable state of every city, and it means that the human activities on city`s sphere of influence on the whole does not harm biodiversity. So, what kind of work is or should be done in cities to gain no net loss status? 

City of Espoo as a pioneer   

On the 3rd of March 2023, on World Wildlife Day, we got into the matter in webinar hosted by Ramboll experts, with keynote speaker Paula Kuusisto-Hjort from the city of Espoo. The take aways of the event showed that the improvement of biodiversity is already in cities` agenda, and the work has really started.  

  • The first step is to set realistic nature targets. Especially when the city is growing, the meaning of prioritization increases.

  • When aiming for as little biodiversity loss as possible, mitigation hierarchy works as a basis on planning.
    The path according to the hierarchy is
    1) Complete avoidance of harms
    2) Minimization, where possible 
    3) Restoration of areas within development
    4) Offsetting, either onsite or offsite 

  • If the harms are compensated, it is essential to identify the possibilities and needs for restoration as well as agree on compensation practices according to the latest research and legislation. The ecological compensation comes into action on 1st June 2023 in the new Nature Conservation Act in Finland. This is something cities and companies are widely interested in, and they are starting to consider its implementation.

  • It is useful to use or develop tools that help to define the current situation and evaluate the success. For example, Biodiversity Metric, a tool developed in the UK and adopted by Ramboll, is one method to consider in regional planning. You can order a Finnish presentation of the tool here.
Ramboll as your partner for safeguarding biodiversity 

As cities and regions are facing questions on how to tackle biodiversity loss, experts at Ramboll are at their service. Knowledge and skills in services from city-wide biodiversity programs to nature surveys, restoration plans and GIS analyses on ecosystem services and ecological corridors are just some to mention. 

As it comes to the new approaches on safeguarding biodiversity, such as the ecological compensation mentioned earlier, our first projects are already in progress, and the conversation with clients around the subject is vivid.

Read more on our services regarding biodiversity issues and how to collaborate with Ramboll. 

- Jani Järvi, Environmental Specialist & Biologist -

February 28th 2023

Science-based targets for nature (SBTN):  Solution for companies` nature related ambitions

Biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation is one of the global long-term risks ranked by WEF Global risk report 2023. WEF 2022 report further shows that more than half of the global GDP that is equivalent to $44 trillion is under threat. It is speculated that, coupled with the impacts of climate change, extreme events and disasters this will result on enormous impact on business across the globe. 

This alarming situation calls for an urgent need to address ecosystem related concerns, reversing biodiversity loss and benchmarking against science backed findings, methodologies and frameworks. On a positive note, this increasing concern has been receiving due attention and response as a commitment to aligning with the Science based targets for nature (SBTN).

Science-based targets for nature (SBTN) help businesses align sustainability ambitions with society’s environmental goals. SBTN examines the pressures on nature according to the IPBES 2019 report and defines "impact categories" with which companies can act to prevent nature loss. It will help companies examine their own impacts and dependencies on nature on many levels: in a production unit, in procurement or in effects through the market. SBTN is a natural next step after companies set SBTi`s (Science-based targets initiative) and there is a strong growth in companies` interest to the matter.

Science Based Targets Network enable companies to play a vital role in creating an equitable, nature positive, net-zero future using science-based targets. The Network is taking major steps in global nature work by developing SBTN guidelines. We in Ramboll are proud to be part of this Network and are committed to its ambitious work with helping ourselves and companies to improve their actions on biodiversity and preventing nature loss.

Pilot project: Leading on setting science-based nature targets  

One example of our commitment to moving clients towards a more sustainable future is our work as consultant and facilitator of an ambitious pilot programme with Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra and Finnish Business & Society (FIBS), the largest corporate responsibility network in the Nordic countries. The project, which was concluded at the end of 2022, offered expert and peer support for setting nature goals.

Ten participating companies were among the first in Finland to test the SBTN guidelines by the Science-based targets Network. The companies were selected by our client for programme participation based on their dependencies on nature for manufacturing, such as companies representing food production and agriculture, forestry, the textile sector or the construction industry.

Measuring nature impacts and setting goals: Lessons learned

The pilot work with companies inevitable showed the increased expertise in environmental impact assessment. Companies were surprised how much information must be obtained, e.g. from beginning of production chains, in order to evaluate effects. It was also learned that nature effects are not quite the same as biodiversity effects. It is useful to look more broadly at impact mechanisms behind the nature loss, not only on key parameters such as number of lost species or habitats.

Based on this project as well as many discussions with clients and cooperative partners, there is not only enormous need for guidelines, expertise and support for companies` nature work but also need to do more with our joint efforts on nature, based on the accurate knowledge and science-based solutions.

- Saara Vauramo, Specialist of Nature Positive Solutions -

January 30th 2023

Global Biodiversity Framework: An ambitious and much needed outcome from COP15

Following the long discussion and negotiation processes, the 15th Conference of Parties of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity has adopted a new set of goals and targets to halt and reverse nature loss. The Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) also termed as Kunming-Montreal GBF consists of four global goals and 23 targets to achieve by 2030. Besides the framework, the meeting agreed upon dozens of agreements and decisions relating to the planning, implementation, monitoring mechanisms, capacity building and key details underlying the framework.  

As a Partner for Sustainable Change and a member to the Science-Based Targets Network for Nature, we are committed to contribute our best on putting the GBF into action.  

We have been continuously helping our clients on their path to biodiversity conservation, biodiversity assessment, net positive impact on biodiversity and science-based targets for nature. We are now happy to offer our expertise to our valued clients on their road to contribution to implement GBF.  

Some of the key targets we want to highlight from the GBF are: 

Target 1 requires ensuring cessation of impacts by 2030 on areas of biodiversity importance and ecosystem functioning by conserving at least 30% of the world’s lands and waters. Currently 17% and 10% of terrestrial and marine areas are protected. 

Target 2 requires restoration of at least 30% of degraded terrestrial, inland waters, and coastal and marine ecosystems. 

Target 7 requires reduced pollution risks by 2030 to levels that are not harmful to biodiversity. 

Target 8 focuses on building resilience to climate change through disaster risk reduction actions and nature-based solutions, fostering positive impacts to biodiversity. 

Target 11 requires restoring, maintain and enhance nature’s contributions to people through based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches for the benefit of all people and nature. 

Target 12 requires to significantly increase the area, quality, and access to blue and green spaces, promote ecological connectivity and integrity, enhancing native biodiversity and mainstreaming the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. 

Target 15 requires large and transnational companies and financial institutions to monitor, assess, and transparently disclose their risks, dependencies, and impacts on biodiversity through their operations, supply and value chains and portfolios. 

Do you  need help with actions on biodiversity?

Please feel free to remain in contact with us upon your interest to integrate and incorporate biodiversity related actions to your business. As the GBF document highlights the need of effective contribution from all relevant stakeholders “whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach” including the private and financial sectors for the implementation of GBF, we are committed to support you on making your positive mark on this important milestone.   

- Saara Vauramo, Specialist of Nature Positive Solutions -

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December 15th 2022

UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15): Ambitious, measurable and time-bound biodiversity targets are needed to combat nature loss

The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has kicked off bringing together the politicians, diplomats, scientists, NGOs and private organizations from 196 countries. The event started on 7th December and will last until 19th December 2022 in Montreal, Canada. 

What is expected out of the event?

This year, the Parties and actors are coming together to negotiate on new sets of goal and adopt the post-2020 Global Biodiveristy Framework (GBF). According to the available draft, the framework has 21 action targets that needs to be delivered by 2030.

The global biodiversity outlook (published in 2020) that reviewed the progress of biodiversity strategy plan 2011-2020 depicts that ‘despite the progress towards most of most of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets none of the Aichi targets has been fully achieved`. Although, targets 9, 11, 16, 17, 19 and 20 are partially achieved. The increasing pressure and consumption of biodiversity overwhelms the recent actions towards biodiversity conservation and demands more concrete action plans addressing the drivers of change. And, the lesson from the gap analysis in Aichi targets depict that the targets with quantitative and measurable goal, clearer language and reporting resulted the most progress.

COP15 is even important in this sense that it is expected to build on the lessons from Aichi targets and come up with measurable, actionable and stronger measures on Post- 2020 framework. The framework is also considered fundamental to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Undeniably, healthy nature and biodiverse ecosystems remain crucial to limiting the global greenhouse emissions by 1.5 degrees as set by Paris agreement. 

Why does the COP 15 matter for businesses?

The global biodiversity framework aims at giving actionable targets to reverse biodiversity loss and this can definitely have far-reaching implications for the businesses. Nature, climate and businesses are intrinsically linked. While the corporate reporting for climate change has been going on a full swing, similar approaches could be applicable for nature related reporting (voluntary or mandatory), new regulations and guidance are likely to arrive. 

Besides, the investors and the funding agencies might now have growing interest in nature-related disclosures and the performances. Although majority of targets of the GBF have linkages with the business, two of the proposed targets: target 15 and target 19 have the direct implications to the businesses. Businesses are demanding stricter reporting requirements: more than 330 business and finance institutions from 52 countries urge world leaders to adopt mandatory disclosures of biodiversity impacts and dependencies by 2030. The exact changes and implications will be clearer once the negotiation process is completed in the event. 

As a partner for Sustainable Change, we are committed to solve one of the biggest challenges of our generation: restoration of ecosystem and reversing the loss of biodiversity. We are following the negotiations very closely and we’re happy to support our clients with any new obligatory and voluntary compliances with regards to the Post-2020 GBF.

- Saara Vauramo, Specialist of Nature Positive Solutions -

October 28th 2022

Weather forecast for the coming years: new biodiversity targets are blowing from Brussels 

Last week more than 200 experts from financial sector, academia, companies and non-governmental organizations were discussing about businesses and biodiversity. I had the honor of attending this event, European Business & Biodiversity Summit 2022. Together with Satu Kuoppamäki, Sustainability Manager of SOK, we introduced the first results from our pilot project of Science-based targets for nature with 10 Finnish companies. Project is funded by Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra and run together with Finnish Business & Society FIBS.  

Take-away message from the conference was clear: companies are now taking steps from the initial “confusion about importance of nature loss” towards comprehensive understanding, ecosystem accounting and biodiversity policies as part of their business plans. As stated by Director General DG ENV Florika Fink-Hooijer, European biodiversity ambitions will be pushed forward with stricter regulation than at present, as well as positive incentives from the financial sector for activities in accordance with the EU taxonomy.

It is evident that more and more businesses are now committed to embed nature positive solutions in their operations and strategies. This has driven increasing motivation to assess their impacts and dependencies. The growing commitment and interests to achieving net-zero, biodiversity net gain and nature-positive world also raises discussion on the approaches and methodologies of assessment, that are in place and in need of development.  

The current situation regarding biodiversity reference frames and metrics is, to put it bluntly, still confusing. There is a bit too many different nature frameworks and their associated metrics in relation to the average readiness of companies to self-comparison these tools. In the longer term, this multitude of metrics will certainly become clearer, when for example SBTN (Science-based Targets for Nature) and TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures) and various criteria for sustainable financing will develop further - and the synergy between them will improve. At the same time, more and more companies are figuring out what type of nature analysis is meaningful at which stage of the work. For example, at the level of entire value chains, it may be best to carry out a rough-level assessment of risks to endangered species or habitats or a biodiversity footprint calculation. At the level of an individual project, it is meaningful to look much more closely at the influence possibilities.

Swiss businessman and environmentalist André Hoffman summed up his message to companies as follows:

  1. We need transparent, unifying measures.
  2. We must promote the change of the whole system and its transition towards more natural systems.
  3. Be brave, "net zero" is still not good enough - we need to be regenerative.
  4. Own the problem: “I can...”.

Keeping these words in mind, we invite you to join our webinar on measuring biodiversity on Wednesday 9 November at 8:30-9 - Register here. Webinar will be held in Finnish. 

The program details and the stream of keynote speakers of European Business & Nature Summit can be found here.

- Saara Vauramo, Specialist of Nature Positive Solutions -

September 29th 2022

Ramboll joins SBTN Corporate Engagement Program

Continuing our commitment towards nature and biodiversity, Ramboll has joined the Science Based targets Network (SBTN) Corporate Engagement Program in August 2022. Together with other member companies and institutions, Ramboll will provide expertise and actively engage to develop measurable and actionable methods, tools, and guidances for companies setting science based targets for nature and biodiversity.

We know that nature is declining around the world and we want to be part of the solution. We genuinely welcome the opportunity to work with the Science Based Targets Network to help our clients develop clear strategies and action to ensure their efforts to protect and restore nature are in line with the latest science.

Companies are increasingly interested to understand their biodiversity footprint and are looking to reporting and devising solutions for the impacts of their operations to nature. This is increasingly guided by the consciousness and concerns of investors, partners and consumers.

Ramboll is already facilitating science-based nature target setting pilot with many companies. As a very recent example, we are happy to share our partnership for consulting and facilitating the pilot project to implement the science-based targets for nature program in 10 Finnish companies launched by Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra and Finnish Business and Society FIBS.

As a SBTN Corporate Engagement Program member now, we look forward to the implications of our expertise and practices in further developing the methodologies and framework with SBTN. Especially by incorporating the feedback derived from our past and existing pilot projects like abovementioned one.

Do you want to learn more about your company's possibilities to utilize SBTN methodology for nature positive outcomes? Please contact us to discuss further.

- Saara Vauramo, Specialist of Nature Positive Solutions -

August 29th 2022

Science based targets for nature (SBTN)

The world governments in 2015 signed the Paris agreement agreeing to limit the global temperature rise to well below 2 °C with reference to pre-industrial level and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature below 1.5 °C. In the same line, companies across the globe have been setting targets to decarbonizing their businesses, committing to respond to the existing impacts and to avoid any further climate catastrophy aligning with the Paris agreements.

Ensuring planet health is crucial to ensuring ‘safe operating space for humanity’. Thus, similar to the climate change, it’s crucial to add nature and biodiversity into the equation. The rate at which the world is facing biodiversity loss and decline in ecosystem is terrifying. The degradation and loss of nature has direct impact on human well-being and global economic activities. Globally, healthy ecosystems supports more than half (approximately 55%) of GDP.

The current year is extremely important for post-2020 global biodiversity framework and long-term targets. Businesses are increasingly interested yet struggling to understand their wider biodiversity impacts. Given that, Science based targets (SBTs) for nature and biodiversity is relatively new to the global discussion.

It is inevitable that current business operations fueling the nature loss should be immediately transformed. Actions are required from every level, but with companies, actionable and measurable targets supported by the latest science are required. This is also an opportunity to collaborate and transform because there is no long-term future for business as usual.

The SBTs for nature covers the pressures and business solutions on four main areas: freshwater, biodiversity, land, and oceans. With these targets for nature, companies can align their efforts to global nature-related sustainability efforts. Recent developments and guidance from SBTN also gives direction for companies to start and/or continue their actions towards SBTs for nature.

At Ramboll, we are continuously communicating with our clients as per their interests on supporting to move the needle on global GHG emissions and halting biodiversity loss. We also have been conducting series of webinars and programmes to facilitate the discussions around SBTs for climate and nature. We receive many questions and queries on different platforms on a daily basis. On the following FAQs, you can find some frequently asked questions and our answers to them.

- Uma Sigdel, Environmental Consultant -

FAQs:

We are interested to set targets and adopt the decarbonizing strategies for our company and also set SBTs for nature, how can Ramboll help us?
As the Partner for Sustainable Change , we are committed to helping our clients to green transition. Our team of experts from engineering, natural, social, and economic fields will guide you step by step towards a sustainable future. Our dedicated team of experts bring deep knowledge, experiences and expertise of helping many companies define the science-based target strategies for climate and nature already. We can help you from the point you decide to set the target and provide nature positive solutions for transforming your business operations.  
What are the processes that we as a company should follow for SBTs for nature?

According to the SBTN, for the initial guidance to set SBTs for nature, there are mainly five step process that the companies can follow. These steps could also be complementary and in continuity to the activities and actions your companies have taken already.  

  1. Assess: Assessing and mapping the value chain to identify material biodiversity issues, the dependencies, and impacts (positive or negative) on nature.  
  1. Interpret and prioritize: Interpreting step 1, prioritizing the location of impacts on the value chain and state of nature in the value chain and locations, consider stakeholders (inside and outside companies) and their capacities.  
  1. Measure, set and disclose: Measure baseline, determine the level of actions needed on each location, develop a plan (monitoring etc.), set targets and disclose targets.  
  1. Act: Actions to deliver the plans and targets and implement the best practices. 
  1. Track: Monitoring and reporting the progress.  

We encourage you to take a look at the Corporate Engagement Programme possibility at SBTN.

We are a profit-making business. Setting targets will cost us extra money and resources. How does it help our business?

SBTs are undeniably even more important if the businesses want to operate and make profits in a long run. The consumers and investors are now making conscious questions and are increasingly interested to know the emissions and mitigation measures that the businesses are applying. Recent survey of  Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) conducted with 185 companies committing to SBTs further shows the benefits that businesses have in terms of competitive advantages,  resilience against the  regulations to come. In fact, the study also shows that 29% of the companies are already showing the bottom-line savings. They are being already prepared and resilient with the changes and scarcity of resources that’s to occur or at the time of this article, is already being experienced across the globe. 

How is GHG accounting and SBTs related?

GHG accounting assesses the amount of GHGs produced by a company, quantifies the associated emissions that occur in its operation and gives understanding on which sector is accountable for its total emissions and how much.  

The first step to manage any impact is to measure them and these are one of the first steps to SBTs.  

Committing to SBTs mean that companies must assess and reduce GHG emissions and apply the best practices. Thus, identifying the scope of emissions and measuring the carbon emissions will facilitate the knowledge and area where the emission reduction measures are to be implemented with regards to the set targets.  

July 6th 2022

Welcome to our Nature blog!

During the last year, we have advanced the discussion of biodiversity and nature targets in many webinars and dialogues for both Finnish and international audiences. Me and my colleagues, are very grateful for the good response and participation in these sessions! We want to continue our efforts on this joint journey within nature targets by offering more discussion points and information for your use. Take a look at our Finnish site and international site and please don't hesitate to reach out to our experts.

I also recommend following this blog, where we share short stories and insights from Finnish nature experts (in English). Our focus will mainly be on business approaches for supporting nature positive outcomes. If you prefer to receive our nature related invitations, articles and topical examples directly to your email (mainly in Finnish), please join our mailing list!

- Saara Vauramo, Specialist of Nature Positive Solutions -

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Nature positive Finland

We want to improve the cooperation and targets of biodiversity and nature positivity. We have gathered views and actions for your use - take a look at our Finnish nature positivity website! 

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