Biodiversity can be defined as the wealth of life on earth: the millions of plants, animals and micro-organisms, the genes they contain, the complex ecosystems they make up in the biosphere.

Biodiversity is assessed on the basis of theabundance and interactions between the different forms of life that populate our planet. Diversity is usually studied at the genetic, species and ecosystem level.

Preserving biodiversity means monitoring and taking action to preserve and strengthen natural ecosystems to ensure they function properly so that nature continues to provide us with food and water, and continues to act as a barrier to the spread of pathogens and reduce the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Human activities are primarily responsible, directly or indirectly, for the degradation of biodiversity, and sustainability targets aim to restore the balance throughvoluntary action to protect ecosystems and endangered animal and plant species.
Common fund objectives can be combined with climate objectives (acting on forests to limit CO2 emissions), or focused on innovative development plans for sustainable agriculture or other forms of projects linked to the development of qualitative forms of coexistence between man and nature.

Sustainable investors use different management strategies :
TheExclusion Approach: Many funds approach the topic by excluding Society that are damaging to the environment, e.g. through unsustainable farming or real estate practices, or that are causing deforestation of primary forests.
Thematic approach: some funds invest exclusively in Society and in projects that have biodiversity at the heart of their economic activities (research, agriculture, forest management). Sometimes biodiversity is part of the activities of so-called thematic funds dedicated to climate or the environment. Rarely does it form part of the activities of generalist funds.
The Normative Approach: funds make particular reference to the work of the UN Convention on Biodiversity and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular the Life on Earth and Water, and the Genetically Modified Organisms conventions. Non-profit institutions and academics continuously monitor the situation and provide support and analysis on the ground.
Best practice - impactinvesting: impact funds have developed advanced performance monitoring systems and work with researchers, academics and entrepreneurs to implement innovative, high-impact projects.

We use about 100 criteria to calculate the importance of the biodiversity issue in the activities of mutual funds in our universe.

At the level of ESG Screening, we see a large number of exclusion strategies (commodity extraction, deforestation, fur, GMOs), particularly among generalist funds and ETFs. Several Society have developed a management policy that takes into accountESG Risk related to biodiversity, and act accordingly. Others also take into account theImpact they go out to generate at the biodiversity level. Particularly good examples can be found in thematic and impact funds that have developed highly innovative specialized portfolios, although there are still few cases.

Biodiversity is an issue of special concern for the European Union and the United Nations, which are increasingly focused on creating robust ecosystems (soil regeneration) and preventing human activities from doing further damage.

Europe forces sustainable funds to quantify:

• Activities that negatively affect areas where biodiversity is vulnerable:
  The Share of Investments in Society investees with sites/operations located in or near biodiversity-sensitive areas where the activities of these Society adversely affect. the lower the percentage, the better.

In addition, Europe recommends the quantification of the following indicators:

• Investment in companies that produce chemicals:
  The share of investment in companies producing paints, pesticides, enamels, inks or other chemicals related to agriculture.
• Land degradation, desertification, soil sealing:
  The share of investment in companies whose activities cause land degradation, desertification or soil sealing.
• Investment in farms without sustainable land/agriculture practices.:
  The share of investments in farms without sustainable land/agriculture practices or policies.

• Investment in companies without sustainable practices in the oceans/sea:
  The share of investments in companies without sustainable practices or policies in the oceans/sea.
• Deforestation:
  The share of investment in companies without a policy to address deforestation.
• Artificial terrain:
  The proportion of area not covered by vegetation (areas that have not been covered by vegetation in the ground, as well as on roofs, terraces, and walls) to the total area of plots in all activities.
• Natural species and protected areas:
  The share of investments in companies whose operations have a negative impact on threatened species.

Here you will find in-depth materials for understanding the important role of biodiversity on our Planet :

How forests contribute to the rain cycle: