Integrating biodiversity metrics based on LCA approach in alignment with WBCSD Natural capital protocol and TNFD frameworks
Linked Sessions:
Poster Number: 23
Main Presenter: Pooja RV
Co-Authors: Ananda Sekar
Integrating biodiversity metrics based on LCA approach in alignment with WBCSD Natural capital protocol and TNFD frameworks
Authors: Pooja R V, Ananda Sekar
Abstract:
The interest and need for biodiversity related disclosures is receiving increasing attention as part of ESG disclosure frameworks and rating methodologies. As organizations strive to measure and reduce their environmental footprint arising out of production use and disposal of products, LCA is one of the most well-established frameworks to enable this quantification. Historically, various environmental impact assessment methods have been developed and refined with the aim of substantiating the environmental impact of products. This is typically assessed both at mid-point and end-point indicator levels. While mid-point indicators are the most used today and have been reported to have relatively lesser model uncertainty, end-point indicators aim to substantiate the final impacts on humans and eco-system but are also recognized to have higher model uncertainty including regional variability and subjectivity of the underlying model data. However, they are also relevant indicators to cover
impacts linked to biodiversity impacts. In this context, it is of high relevance to assess the potential for LCA based approach to quantification of environmental impacts linked to biodiversity, data quality considerations to specify for primary as well as secondary data towards ensuring reliable quantification of impacts in related areas.
This work aims to present using a case study on how to integrate requirements from Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and WBCSD Natural capital protocol guidelines with methodological aspects covered in Life cycle impact assessment methods and use this to evaluate how LCA based impact assessment methods and the data quality considerations of primary and secondary data can enable LCA based insights for quantification of biodiversity impacts. This work also aims to highlight focus areas in data quality and methodological considerations which can enable effective quantification of biodiversity impacts as well as to inform meaningful action towards minimization of biodiversity related impacts.
Keywords: ESG, Environmental footprint, biodiversity
