Biodiversity is no longer just a sustainability buzzword, it is a material business issue. According to the World Bank, 55% of global GDP directly depends on biodiversity. From pollination to water purification, nature props up the global economy. And yet, it is being depleted at a rate that threatens not only ecosystems but entire business models.

If your company relies on healthy soils, functioning watersheds, or even brand identity built on natural imagery, biodiversity loss could drastically alter your revenue, or worse. 

But how do you quantify that risk? What does a biodiversity footprint look like in practice? 

This guide lays out how to calculate it, without reinventing the wheel.

Ocean biodiversity provides trillions in ecosystem services, from fish stocks and storm buffering to carbon sinks like seagrass and mangroves. And yet marine species have declined by over 56% since 1970 (WWF, 2022) and genetic diversity is set to fall by over 50% by 2100 if we stay on this path (INRAE, 2021). Companies tied to fisheries, coastal infrastructure, tourism, shipping, and even financial services must account for these dependencies, or be blindsided by loss. 

What is a biodiversity footprint?

Beyond metrics

Unlike carbon accounting, biodiversity doesn’t boil down to a single variable. A biodiversity footprint is a set of indicators that express a company’s dependencies and impacts on ecosystems, often across species abundance, extinction risk, and ecosystem integrity.

In the marine realm, data is thinner but the logic holds. You’re still capturing interactions across trophic levels and seascapes, such as habitat alteration from dredging, or species decline from unsustainable seafood sourcing. While no universal marine metric exists yet, efforts like Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) and the emerging marine modules of the Global Biodiversity Score (GBS) are rapidly evolving the field.

1. Start with double materiality: map dependencies and impacts

How to scope it

Use a double materiality lens across your full value chain (upstream, operational, downstream). Ask:

• Dependencies: Which of the 18 ecosystem services are critical to your business model? Examples include water provisioning, pollination, or natural pest control.
• Impacts: How do your activities contribute to biodiversity erosion? Look across all five pressure drivers.

For marine dependencies, it can be slightly trickier as they often fly under the radar. Consider dependencies such as:

• Coastal real estate depending on mangroves and coral reefs for flood defense
• Food companies relying on sustainable fisheries
• Ports and shipping firms contributing to underwater noise and invasive species

Key marine pressures include overfishing, seabed disruption, acidification, eutrophication, and plastic pollution. Mapping these to your operations helps pinpoint risk hotspots in marine biomes.

2. You don't measure a footprint: you calculate it

Let’s be clear: this is not a direct measurement. There is no "biodiversity meter" you can wave over your product line but don’t let data gaps stall you. A biodiversity footprint is a calculated estimate, using indicators such as:

PDF.m².yr
(Potentially Disappeared Fraction of species per unit area per year)

MSA.km²
(Mean Species Abundance per unit area)

You can build a solid approximation using relevant proxies supported by high-quality global databases such as GLOBIO, GBIF, Exiobase, Global Forest Watch, IBAT, and sector-specific Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs). For example:

• For agri-food firms: % of turnover tied to food production, water used for key products, arable land required.
• For financial institutions: hectares of artificialized land financed, % of projects with sustainable labels, carbon intensity of portfolios, or even turnover linked to illegal wildlife trade.
• For marine systems: % of revenue from seafood linked to non-certified fisheries, area of seabed affected by offshore activities, or shipping intensity in ecologically sensitive marine zones

IN PRACTICE

CALCULATING THE BIODIVERSITY FOOTPRINT OF A RETAILER'S GLOBAL MARITIME SHIPPING

In a recent impact study for the world’s largest luxury retailer, Moshun. assessed the marine biodiversity footprint of its maritime transport using a composite magnitude formula, based on 22 categories of ecological pressure, from invasive species to pollution to ship collisions with mega fauna.

Here’s the simplified model used:

M(X) = Σ Xᵢ for i = 1 to 22

Where M(X) is the total marine biodiversity magnitude attributable to the company, and each Xᵢ is a specific impact (e.g. oil spills, acoustic pollution, NOx emissions).

Each impact’s magnitude was calculated using a four-step model:

Our approach confirmed that proxy-based modeling works as long as it is recouped with bottom-up data points such as the company’s specific share of impact and remediation plan.

5. Tools exist, use them wisely

A fragmented landscape

There’s no single tool to measure biodiversity impact. However, a growing ecosystem of tools makes biodiversity footprinting more accessible:

• Global Biodiversity Score (GBS) is the gold standard, using Exiobase and GLOBIO to produce MSA-based estimates.
• Biodiversity Footprint for Financial Institutions (BFFI) is tailored to asset portfolios.
• Corporate Biodiversity Footprint (CBF) and Product/Site Biodiversity Scores (PBS/SBS) provide a more granular scope.
• Biodiversity Risk Filter, ENCORE, BIM, IIEB, BFC, InVEST, and Co$ting Nature are other useful tools to use depending on your sector, scale, and needs.

Marine integration is emerging, but incomplete. GBS now includes a marine overfishing module, and OBIS is being woven into future iterations. However, many tools, especially those drawing from terrestrial LCAs, underrepresent or exclude marine biodiversity. Newcomers taking a sector-based approach are emerging and worth taking a look at such as The Ocean Impact Initiative and The Ocean Impact Navigator.

6. Anchor in frameworks (and stay nimble)

We get it: the alphabet soup is coalescing. You're not navigating this alone though. Align your approach with leading frameworks:

• SBTn for Nature for sector-specific pathways (ocean targets set for seafood chain only)
• TNFD for nature-related risk and disclosure structured around the LEAP approach (Locate, Evaluate, Assess, Prepare)
• CSRD / ESRS E4 for mandatory biodiversity disclosures in the EU with specific indicators for dependencies, impacts, and remediation plans
• AFNOR NF X32-001 as a voluntary French certification for biodiversity action plans

These are not just reporting exercises. The regulatory landscape is evolving fast:

• Expect new ISO standards by 2025. For instance, ISO Technical Committees 331 Biodiversity is developing new standards specifically focused on biodiversity issues.
• Tighter regulation on land use, deforestation, pesticide, pollutant bans, and supply chain transparency are on the horizon.
• OECD and IFRS are also exploring nature-integrated economic models that could influence investment flows.

For marine space, the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) is the first global agreement to protect marine areas beyond national jurisdiction. Meanwhile, 30x30 targets are pushing countries to protect 30% of oceans by 2030. The EU Nature Restoration Law sets binding targets for restoring marine habitats (e.g. 20% of degraded ecosystems by 2030). Expect more policies, regulatory & financial instruments around imported marine degradation, ocean restoration funding, seascape-based planning, marine offsets, exchange of genetic information, and digital traceability of marine biodiversity impacts.

7. Adopt a learning mindset, this is a moving target

Science is evolving. We’ve only catalogued an estimated 1/5th of all species. Tools and methodologies are catching up, but they are (at least) a decade behind carbon accounting.

Biodiversity disclosure is where the climate was in 2010. That means your organization must be willing to iterate, collaborate, and learn in public.

Join peer networks like Act4Nature International, Club B4B+, Entreprise pour l'Environnement (EPE, France), and marine-focused peer networks like Blue Nature Alliance and regional MPA coalitions.

8. From insight to action: make your data matter

A biodiversity footprint is only valuable if you use it. The whole point is to integrate biodiversity into risk assessments, strategic planning, investment decisions, procurement criteria, site operations, and net gain/contribution strategies.

Here are pre-requirements to operationalize action, aligned to the SBTn framework:

1. Identification: Identify mitigation actions corresponding to identified stressors, according the A3RT (Avoid, Reduce, Restore & Regenerate, Transform).
2. Characterization: Qualify and quantify these actions (magnitude as calculated in section 4 vs. complexity & cost/gain).
3. Design: Design a global action plan with level of priorities and targets.
4. Integration: Review the strategy, storytelling among departments.
5. Monitor: Follow up the action plan with a dedicated management team and KPIs.

A sneak peek of how Moshun. goes from insight to action: when the plan involves direct biodiversity impact mitigation (which we prefer to call "contribution to biodiversity" rather than "offsets" or "compensation" due to potential misuse), Moshun. takes an additional step. We directly implement action plans on the ground, deploying our own staff to oversee execution, community involvement, field operations, scientific oversight, and training. This complex but vital approach aims to rebuild trust between the company willing to contribute and grassroots projects, ultimately unlocking long-term funding opportunities. 

Final word: perfect is the enemy of action

You will not get it all right. But the worst strategy is to wait.

Calculating your biodiversity footprint pragmatically means embracing and not surrendering to complexity, using the best data available, leaning on tools and frameworks, and moving forward, imperfectly but meaningfully.

At Moshun.Earth, we’re not just building another tool: we’re creating a faster, smarter, and ocean-literate approach to marine biodiversity footprinting. Whether you're navigating regulatory currents or steering toward nature-positive operations, we equip you with the insight and velocity needed to lead on ocean biodiversity before the tide turns against you. Join the list to be notified when our Marine Biodiversity Footprint Calculator launches!

Psssst... in case you're curious... we've compiled below our sources, and some of the interesting tools and frameworks mentioned in this article.

Global Reports & Scientific Sources

World Bank (2022). Biodiversity and Development.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/environment/brief/biodiversity

IPBES (2019). Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
https://ipbes.net/global-assessment

Rockström, J. et al. (2009). Planetary Boundaries: Exploring the Safe Operating Space for Humanity.
https://www.nature.com/articles/461472a

INRAE (2021). Biodiversity and Genetic Resources – Foresight Report.
https://www.inrae.fr/en/news/genetic-diversity-foresight-study

WWF (2022). Living Planet Report 2022.
https://www.worldwildlife.org/publications/living-planet-report-2022

Elhacham, E. et al. (2020). Global human-made mass exceeds all living biomass.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-3010-5

MNHN. Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle – Species Cataloguing.
https://www.mnhn.fr

Biodiversity Metrics & Tools

Global Biodiversity Score (GBS) – CDC Biodiversitéhttps://www.cdc-biodiversite.fr/en/global-biodiversity-score-gbs/

Biodiversity Footprint for Financial Institutions (BFFI)
https://www.biodiversity-metrics.org/bffi

ENCORE (Exploring Natural Capital Opportunities, Risks and Exposure)
https://encore.naturalcapital.finance

Biodiversity Risk Filter – WWF & PwC
https://riskfilter.org/biodiversity

Co$ting Nature – UNEP-WCMC
https://www.policysupport.org/costingnature

OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System)
https://obis.org

Global Fishing Watch
https://globalfishingwatch.org

The Ocean Impact Navigator (in development)
https://oceanimpactnavigator.org

The Ocean Impact Initiative (in development)
https://www.oceanimpactinitiative.com/

Policy, Disclosure & Standards

TNFD – Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures
https://tnfd.global

SBTn – Science Based Targets for Nature
https://sciencebasedtargetsnetwork.org

CSRD / ESRS E4 – EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive
https://www.efrag.org/lab6

AFNOR NF X32-001 – French Biodiversity Standard
https://www.boutique.afnor.org/norme/nf-x32-001/biodiversite-demarche-volontaire-de-progres-des-organisations/article/928931/fa201967

ISO/TC 331 – Technical Committee on Biodiversity (under development) https://www.iso.org/committee/7851047.html

High Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement)
https://www.un.org/bbnj

EU Nature Restoration Law
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-biodiversity/nature-restoration-law_en

Business & Peer Networks

Act4Nature International
https://www.act4nature.com

Club B4B+
https://www.club-b4bplus.com

Entreprise pour l'Environnement
https://www.epe-asso.org/

Blue Nature Alliance
https://www.bluenaturealliance.org