Linking actions to outcomes for biodiversity in Nordic forestry

Annika Nordin, Pär Wilhelmsson, Louise Mair, Ly Lindman, Francesca A. Ridley, Florence Curet, Medha Bhasin, Martin Sneary, Philip JK McGowan 

The lack of a unified biodiversity metric to measure outcomes against a company’s biodiversity ambitions and societal conservation goals has hindered the implementation of a rigorous, science-based approach to biodiversity actions by companies. Here we propose that the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric offers a science-based framework for forestry companies to measure and disclose their impact on biodiversity at the species level for spatial and temporal scales relevant to link the company’s actions to biodiversity outcomes. STAR could be integrated into the business decision support system of a forestry company to prioritize the biodiversity investments that most efficiently reduce species’ extinction risks through threat abatement and habitat restoration. Such an application of STAR could quantify the company’s biodiversity contributions credibly and transparently and allows them to be considered relative to business profitability.