Locate assessment tools

Helping organisations identify where their activities are in sensitive locations

Introduction

Responding to market feedback on the value of analytic tools to help save time and cost to implement the LEAP approach, the TNFD is collaborating with partners to pilot easy access to tools to facilitate locate phase analysis and assessment. 

These tools are drawn from the TNFD Tools Catalogue which provides a longer list of available and applicable tools to support analysis through all phases of LEAP. 

As we pilot test making these tools more readily available to TNFD users, we welcome feedback from market participants on these analytics tools, how to improve access, their ease of use and their decision usefulness to support your identification, assessment and disclosure activities. 

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Interface with sensitive locations (L4)

Organisations may have significant dependencies and impacts and/or face elevated nature-related risks and opportunities in business locations that are also ecologically sensitive locations. 

Sensitive locations are defined by TNFD as:

  • Areas important for biodiversity, including species and/or
  • Areas of high ecosystem integrity and/or
  • Areas of rapid decline in ecosystem integrity and/or
  • Areas of high physical water risks and/or
  • Areas of importance for ecosystem service provision, including benefits to Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities and stakeholders.

TNFD LEAP guidance provides recommended reference data sets that can be used to identify sensitive locations meeting one or more of these criteria.  IBAT is one tool that can be used to support your assessment of potentially sensitive locations. 

Introducing IBAT

TNFD and the IBAT Alliance have collaborated to create an integrated version of the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool’s biodiversity map on the TNFD website.

The Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) provides fast, easy and integrated access to critical biodiversity information. IBAT can be used to screen for areas of biodiversity importance using the World Database of Protected Area, the World Database on Key Biodiversity Areas, and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The IBAT biodiversity map offers a rapid visual screening for critical global biodiversity areas. Users can explore the interactive map by adding several layers to identify Key Biodiversity Areas, protected areas, and areas important for threatened species. These datasets are recommended by the TNFD for assessing biodiversity importance in L4 of the LEAP approach. Biodiversity importance is one of the five TNFD criteria for sensitive locations.

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How does IBAT support the TNFD guidance and recommendations?

IBAT can help organisations to identify sensitive locations in component L4 of the ‘Locate’ phase of the LEAP Approach. The datasets within IBAT are recommended by the TNFD as they offer a scientifically robust starting point for assessing the sensitivity of locations based on biodiversity importance.

The identification of sensitive locations is also important for TNFD recommended disclosure Strategy D.

What data is used?

The map is underpinned by three global biodiversity datasets providing integrated access to:

  • the World Database on Protected Areas
  • the World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas
  • the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in addition to the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric and Rarity Weighted Richness layer – both derived data layers from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

FAQs

How can the IBAT map help with the TNFD LEAP approach?

The IBAT biodiversity map offers a rapid visual screening for critical global biodiversity areas. Users can explore the interactive map by adding several layers to identify Key Biodiversity Areas, protected areas, and areas important for threatened species

What TNFD Recommended Disclosure does IBAT support?

IBAT can help organisations to identify sensitive locations in component L4 of the ‘Locate’ phase of the LEAP Approach. The datasets within IBAT are recommended by the TNFD as they offer a scientifically robust starting point for assessing the sensitivity of locations based on biodiversity importance.

The identification of sensitive locations is also important for TNFD recommended disclosure Strategy D.

What other features are included in the full version of IBAT?

IBAT provides access to biodiversity reports that offer fast, easy, and web-based methods of querying global datasets to gain site-specific insights on biodiversity risk and opportunities. IBAT Reports include a Proximity Analysis, IFC & World Bank PS6/ESS6 Report on Critical Habitat, Freshwater Report, Multi-site Analysis and Species Threat Abatement and Restoration Metric Report. Examples of all the reports and an extract of GIS data can be downloaded here.

IBAT is currently developing a Disclosure Preparation report designed to help organisations identify and prioritise sensitive locations in alignment with TNFD recommendations, due for release early 2024.

 

What other features are included in the full version of IBAT?

The Tools Catalogue provides a comprehensive list of nature-related data tools that can support the Locate Phase and component L4.

What is the IBAT Alliance?

The IBAT Alliance consists of four international conservation organisations: Birdlife International, IUCN, Conservation International and UNEP- World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Their common vision is that “access to authoritative biodiversity data results in organisations taking positive action for nature” ”

Where do the data layers source from?

This map is powered by the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT). IBAT is underpinned by three global biodiversity datasets providing integrated access to the World Database on Protected Areas, the World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas, and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in addition to the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric and Rarity Weighted Richness layer – both derived data layers from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Is the full version of the tool free?

No. IBAT offers subscription-based and PAYG services which provide bespoke report generation and the download of GIS data. IBAT operates on this model as IBAT is an important cost recovery mechanism where all extra revenue directly support the update and maintenance of the datasets within IBAT.

Where does the money from the subscription go?

IBAT is an important cost recovery mechanism and IBAT subscriptions directly support the update and maintenance of three of the world’s most authoritative global datasets: the World Database on Protected Areas, the World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas, and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The annual cost of updating and maintaining these datasets is estimated at US$6.5 million. An additional US$114 million will be needed to reach baselines of data coverage for global biodiversity and conservation knowledge products.

How can I contact IBAT?

To find out more about the map and other services, please visit the IBAT Alliance website or email [email protected].

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