The Fashion Pact (TFP) has launched a Biodiversity Strategy Tool Navigator to guide fashion companies through the stages of developing a biodiversity strategy that is aligned with the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN), and to find the tools and resources that can help.
- It includes traceability, risks and impacts, target setting, implementation plans, reporting and transparency.
- The Navigator has been created with the help of the Biodiversity Consultancy Ltd and UNEP-WCMC, and alongside Conservation International, under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) project.
The Highlights: Since different companies are at various stages in understanding and addressing their impacts on biodiversity, the Navigator aims to support companies regardless of their current level of progress.
- There are a series of stages that are based on TFP's Biodiversity Blueprint and SBTN steps for developing a typical biodiversity strategy. Under each stage, a set of questions will take you through the ‘what’, ‘why’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ of each step and provide examples and tools to support your company’s biodiversity journey.
The Blueprint: The Biodiversity Blueprint is the process for developing a biodiversity strategy that The Fashion Pact signatories have committed to – however the process is equally applicable to any fashion company. It is based on the SBTN framework for setting science-based targets for nature, but has key differences to facilitate ease of use by a range of companies.
The Targets: To set science-based targets, companies will need to undertake some form of assessment (see ‘Understanding biodiversity impacts’). This step helps a company identify what its impacts are and to set a baseline.
- The next step is to use these assessments to inform a proportionate target or targets.
- A proportionate target is one that helps a company take on their ‘fair share’ of the action needed to keep us within planetary boundaries.
Guidelines: The Navigator lists tools to help set baseline via impact assessments, which can then be used to set quantitative targets drawing on some of the frameworks:
- Accountability Framework Initiative focuses on biodiversity impacts related to deforestation and conversion of land. It contains guidance on how companies can set strong targets related to the impacts occurring within their supply chains specifically. Given the focus on zero deforestation/conversion, the targets set under this framework relate most closely to the “avoidance” step of the AR3T framework.
- Biodiversity Benchmark has been developed by the Textile Exchange in partnership with The Biodiversity Consultancy and Conservation International, allowing fashion companies to understand their impacts and dependencies and create a pathway to delivering biodiversity positive outcomes, by way of setting targets and goals. The tool follows the AR3T framework to ensure alignment for signatories to the Science-Based Targets Network. Using the tool will allow companies to benchmark their progress within the fashion sector.
- One Planet Approach Framework is an eight-step approach designed to support companies to set science-based targets for multiple issue areas including biodiversity, which will be aligned with the SBTN. The process is clear, and guidance is provided for each step and how to implement it. Produced in collaboration with WWF, it will allow you to set targets which are specific to your company, but which are aligned with global goals by relating back to the concept of planetary boundaries.
- Guidelines for Planning and Monitoring Corporate Biodiversity Performance, developed by IUCN, helps companies to set goals/targets which are based on their most major impacts to biodiversity and which are defined in relation to an overall “biodiversity vision” for that company. It gives guidance on how to define robust goals, including examples which may be relevant to you as a company, and helps identify strategies that help to realise those goals through directed action.
- Biodiversity Guidance Navigation Tool guides users through the different steps outlined by the Capitals Coalition for conducting a Natural Capital Assessment. A Natural Capital Assessment looks at not only the impacts a company is having on nature, but also the dependencies it has. This allows targets to be set that prioritise the benefits for nature, and the benefits for your company. This tool is specifically designed to help guide companies through the steps related to the biodiversity components of a Natural Capital Assessment. This includes the “measure, value and apply” steps which will be relevant for setting targets for any company, including those within the fashion sector.
The Tool Catalogue: The Navigator, as of now, offers three primary tools:
- The Agrobiodiversity Index (ABDi) focuses mainly on the food sector rather than wider agricultural production. However, since the food and fashion sectors intersect, its analyses may be of value to companies involved in textiles as well. It has a range of applications that can support mitigation of impacts on biodiversity, including risk assessments, planning interventions, aligning with global policy and benchmarking against competitors. Commitment, action and status indicators are all relevant to what the company should be focussing on, and the guidance on use is clear. As its name implies, the tool assesses risks caused by low agrobiodiversity, such as vulnerability to pests and diseases, etc. Its focus is largely on the biodiversity of species that provide direct services to humans through agricultural production, rather than the status of biodiversity per se. The tool requires traceability to site-level.
- The B Impact Assessment is designed to increase a company's positive impact of day-to-day operations and business model. It allows companies to recognise their impact and take actions towards improving their impact. The assessment focuses on environmental impact and not directly biodiversity. The tool is helpful for benchmarking and guidance for action, but since it does not offer quantified impact analysis (the assessments are qualitative), it cannot be used to set quantified targets.
- The Biodiversity Footprint Financial Institutions (BFFI) method focuses on financial portfolios rather than corporate level / company impact. It allows the calculation of a high-level footprint, and an understanding of positive and negative impacts. The quantitative metric is not responsive to management interventions by companies they are investing in. The tool is for use by financial institutions and investors, and may be of interest to fashion companies whose investors may be interested in or are already using it.
