A typology of tools used to support companies’ biodiversity strategies and action plans

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This study explores the growing importance of biodiversity tools in corporate strategies and action plans, driven by the ongoing sixth mass extinction and the recognition that economic growth is a major contributor to biodiversity loss. While public policies such as the SFDR (2021) and CSRD (2022) are pushing businesses to integrate biodiversity considerations into their decision-making processes. This research aims to bridge the gap in academic literature on this subject by developing a comprehensive typology of biodiversity tools, assessing their objectives, visions of biodiversity, strengths, and limitations, and evaluating their impact on organisations.The literature review focuses on three main topics: the role of tools in studying biodiversity management practices, the historical evolution of biodiversity-related tools and the development of new tools to engage companies and financial institutions in biodiversity issues through their activities and value chains. The study seeks to answer two research questions: What types of biodiversity tools are currently being developed and used by firms and financial actors? What are the objectives, visions of biodiversity, strengths, and limitations of these tools?The methodology involves three steps: collecting data on existing tools to create an initial typology, testing these tools to understand users' experiences, and conducting interviews with professionals in charge of biodiversity within companies to provide insights into the practical use of these tools and their impact on biodiversity strategies. The expected result is a comprehensive classification of biodiversity tools, which will help guide companies and developers in improving their approaches to halt biodiversity loss.