Another innovator in this space is South Pole, a company that works with businesses and governments to develop and implement emission reduction strategies. South Pole’s strategies have helped their clients reduce 170+ million tonnes of carbon, mobilised $15 billion USD in clean energy investments, and saved 20,000+ km2 of forests.

They have now developed a biodiversity credit system for businesses, an innovative approach to transparently quantifying the net positive impacts of investments on land that is preserved, restored, or sustainably managed. As the finance industry is increasingly looking for quantifiable impact, companies that can deliver this will continue to find it easy to finance themselves. South Pole’s credit system allows companies to:

• Invest in projects that add business value
• Create benefits for land systems and the biodiversity and communities that rely on them

The process works in different steps:

1. Financing mechanisms are tailored to companies
2. Investments are channelled into biodiversity initiatives
3. Each credit in the system represents the transaction unit of an area of conservation and has a monetary value
4. Companies can connect the dots between biodiversity and business value while becoming a part of the change

Nonetheless, it is important for companies to understand that protecting biosphere integrity and other planetary boundaries also means transforming business models. While these initiatives represent a positive step forwards, business as usual needs to change. Impacts on biodiversity shouldn’t just be analysed and quantified–certain practices need to stop completely while new methods are continually implemented to stay ahead of regulation and secure long-term business success.