GRI 101: Biodiversity 2024

On 25 January 2024, a major revision to the GRI Biodiversity was published. GRI 101: Biodiversity 2024 updates, expands, and replaces GRI 304: Biodiversity 2016. The Standard, aligned with the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, helps organizations to better understand which decisions and business practices lead to biodiversity loss, where in their value chain impacts occur, and how they can be managed.

GRI at Biodiversity COP 16: Join our events and activities in Cali, Colombia

With the aim of driving global commitments to protect nature and ensure the sustainable use of resources, COP16 will bring together diverse stakeholders from around the world, including governments, civil society, businesses, financial institutions and academia. GRI actions will be focused on encouraging organizational transparency through GRI 101, the new Topic Standard for Biodiversity. 

Register for upcoming GRI hosted events:

Register here

  • Leaving no-one behind: How just transition and nature-positive impacts intersect: (24 October, Blue Zone - Nature Positive Pavilion, 10:30 – 11:30 UTC-5): A multi-stakeholder panel discussion on achieving an inclusive and equitable transition to a nature-positive economy, led by Andrea Pradilla, Director of GRI Latin America. 
  • Opportunity or challenge? How can digitalization transform biodiversity reporting? (25 October, Blue Zone - Nature Positive Pavilion, 15:30 pm - 16:30 UTC-5): This session, led by GRI Interim CEO Cristina Gil White, will assess the current state of play and potential new frontiers for biodiversity reporting, looking at how digital transformation will impact reporting in the next five to ten years, and how we can ensure that changes are positive. 
  • How corporate transparency helps protect biodiversity (27 October, Blue Zone - Nature Positive Pavilion, 12:00 – 13:00 UTC-5): In this interactive session led by GRI technical experts Harold Pauwels (Director Standards) and Elodie Chene (Senior Manager Standards), we will hear from companies that piloted GRI 101, their experiences with data collection and how the information can inform their company’s strategy. 
  • (Session in Spanish): How corporate transparency helps protect biodiversity (27 October, Blue Zone - Nature Positive Pavillion, 13:00 - 14:00 pm UTC-5): This event, led by Andrea Pradilla and Lina Camargo of GRI Latin America, will look at the reporting experiences of regional companies that have piloted the GRI Biodiversity Standards. 

 

Interoperability mapping between GRI and TNFD 

In July 2024, GRI and the TNFD published a joint interoperability mapping to help reporters betterunderstandthe correspondence between the GRI Standards and the TNFD Disclosure Recommendations, metrics and sector guidance 

The mapping consists of: 

  • an accompanying guidance, which provides insights, clarifications and instructions on the TNFD-GRI interoperability mapping.
  • table of correspondences between the TNFD Disclosure Recommendations and metrics and the disclosures of the GRI Standards.

The importance of this standard

The alarming decline in biodiversity in the last decades threatens to bring disastrous consequences to the environment and people, including triggering knock-on effects on climate change.

The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted the 'post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework' in 2022, which has defined collective commitments to reverse the loss of biodiversity for all relevant stakeholders, including government, companies, civil society, and investment institutions.

Both governments and companies are being called upon to demonstrate accountability in responding to the biodiversity crisis by conserving and sustainably using biodiversity. The revision of GRI 304: Biodiversity 2016 reflected global best practice on biodiversity management to support companies in addressing their impacts.

Project overview

Q4 2021
Project commencement & formation of Technical Committee
Q4 2021 - Q3 2022
Development of exposure draft
Q4 2022
Public comment period
Q1 - Q2 2023
Consideration of public comment and revision
Q1 2024
Release of revised Standard

About the project 

Since the GRI disclosures on biodiversity were last revised in 2006, the issue of biodiversity has received significant attention in the global sustainable development agenda. This project aim was to review GRI 304: Biodiversity 2016 to represent internationally agreed best practices and align with latest developments and authoritative intergovernmental instruments in biodiversity. 

The GSSB appointed a multi-stakeholder Technical Committee in November 2021 to lead the revision. Read the Project Proposal and the Terms of Reference for more information. 

Development and consultation 

The Biodiversity Standard exposure draft was made available for public comment between 5 December 2022 and 28 February 2023. You can access 122 submissions from organizations and individuals here.

A re-exposure of the disclosure 304-7 Access and benefit-sharing took place between 26 July – 10 September 2023. The comments from 17 submissions from the re-exposure can be found here. The Basis for conclusions for GRI 101 provides a summary of the public comments received. It also sets out how the GSSB responded in the finalization of the Standard.

For key documents, FAQs, resources and more, see the list at the bottom of this page. 

Recent news

View all news and updates

G7 sustainability pledges are not bold enough

25 Jun 2024

Reflections on the recent G7 summit held at Borgo Egnazia, Italy

Read more

Biodiversity Standard now available in more languages

26 Apr 2024

Four new translations of GRI 101: Biodiversity 2024

Read more

Strengthened collaboration between GRI and TNFD

12 Apr 2024

Plans for new resources on nature-related corporate reporting

Read more

Protecting nature is central to the climate change debate

12 Jan 2024

Reflections on COP28 and what it means for biodiversity

Read more

Planting the seeds for biodiversity restoration

17 Jan 2023

Medium article by Elodie Chêne, Standards Manager

Read more

Global standard for biodiversity impacts one step closer

05 Dec 2022

Consultation begins on ‘major update’ to GRI Biodiversity Standard

Read more

Biodiversity Day 2022: The case for transparency and change

23 May 2022

Medium article by Harold Pauwels, Director of Standard

Read more

Collaboration to deliver enhanced reporting on biodiversity impacts

07 Dec 2021

CDP support the update of GRI’s Biodiversity Standard

Read more

EFRAG and GRI to co-construct biodiversity standard

01 Dec 2021

Project marks a next step in aligning global and European sustainability standards

Read more

Biodiversity crisis emphasizes need for corporate transparency

04 Jun 2021

KPMG, Ambipar and One Earth back GRI Biodiversity Standard

Read more

Related resources

GRI Topic Standard Project for Biodiversity–Exposure draft file 02 Dec 2022 English 1.1 MB
GRI Topic Standard: Biodiversity Exposure draft public comment questionnaire file 02 Dec 2022 English 181 KB
Biodiversity Technical Committee member biographies file 15 Nov 2021 English 522 KB
Biodiversity Technical Committee - terms of reference file 15 Nov 2021 English 337 KB
Topic Standard Project for Biodiversity - final project proposal file 01 Dec 2021 English 137 KB
GRI Topic Standards project for Biodiversity Public comment feedback file 26 Apr 2023 English 183 KB
GRI Topic Standard Project for Biodiversity - Re-exposure draft of Disclosure on Access and benefit-sharing file 24 Jul 2023 English 313 KB
GRI Topic Standard Project for Biodiversity Disclosure ABS Draft questionnaire file 24 Jul 2023 English 130 KB
GRI Topic Standards project for Biodiversity Re Exposure Disclosure 304 7 Access And Benefit Sharing Public Comment Feedback file 22 Sep 2023 English 72 KB
GRI 101: Biodiversity 2024 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) file 01 Oct 2024 English 234 KB

Never miss an update

Sign up and tick the 'GRI Standards' option to receive updates on our projects and on how you can get involved. Keep an eye on this project page for information and events related to this Standard

Sign up