The working document Measuring Nature-Positive – Setting and implementing verified, robust targets for species and ecosystems was released for consultation to the Union and key partners from 23 November 2023 to 15 March 2024. Version 2 of this document has now been released as The IUCN approach to setting robust targets and implementing rapid, verifiable actions for species and ecosystems: IUCN Rapid High-Integrity Nature-positive Outcomes (IUCN RHINO). This document was improved through reference to over 700 comments made during the consultation.
The summary of the IUCN responses to the consultation comments is in the document here. All comments have been anonymised, so are not attributable to the commenter, but we have left the text unedited except where some insertion was essential for context. We have not responded to all comments; some did not require a response, others were clarifications of the respondent’s understanding of the questions asked, and some were personal responses that were hard to anonymise. This leaves us with 479 comments.
We have classified the comments into the following categories (listed in alphabetical order; the data can be sorted on this or other columns):
Access to data used in the approach; Alignment with other approaches, and value added by the IUCN approach; Applicability to financial institutions; Application of threat information; Attribution and Claims; Certification; Clarifications; Characteristics of proposed metrics for the genetic components of biodiversity; Comments supporting the approach; Contributions to improved livelihoods; Characteristics of proposed metrics; Consistency of approach with the Mitigation Hierarchy; Economic analysis and options: Engagement with civil society and government as well as companies; Results of piloting of the approach; References; Relationship to financial instruments including biodiversity credits; Requirement for additional guidance; Scope of the approach, including what it does not cover; Taxonomic coverage.
Some comments covered multiple categories, and we attempted to provide answers to all components. Referring to similar categories may reveal supplementary responses to relevant issues.
What is “Nature-Positive”?
Nature is in crisis: there is overwhelming evidence that human actions have caused and are continuing to cause pervasive declines in life on Earth. The growing evidence of the impacts of this crisis on the planet, on society, and on the economy has led to increased recognition that we need to move beyond ‘minimising harm’ to actually delivering real and measurable improvements in the state of nature – in other words, to become ‘Nature-Positive’.
What does Nature-Positive mean? According to the Nature Positive Initiative (2023) the definition is: Halt and Reverse Nature Loss by 2030 on a 2020 baseline, and achieve full recovery by 2050.
Delivering the Nature Positive goal requires measurable net-positive biodiversity outcomes through the improvement in the abundance, diversity, integrity and resilience of species, ecosystems and natural processes. https://www.naturepositive.org/news