Biodiversity Gain (basket of metrics)

In short

Open-source method: a unit is a 1% uplift (or avoided loss) per hectare in the median of a basket of taxa reflecting the site's objectives.

What it is

The Wallacea Trust methodology quantifies biodiversity change on project sites from restoration or protection interventions and translates it into biodiversity credits. Biodiversity is assessed by monitoring a basket of at least five predefined metrics chosen to reflect the conservation objectives for each site, habitat, and ecoregion. One biodiversity credit is defined as a 1 percent uplift, or avoided loss, per hectare in the median value of that basket of metrics. The approach is designed to apply across habitats and ecoregions worldwide.

What it rewards

The reward is a credit called a Biodiversity Unit (BU). One credit stands for a one percent improvement in biodiversity across a hectare. A verified, nature-positive biodiversity outcome. A whole period of work is issued as one batch of credits at a time, in the same way a registry issues a batch.

What gets measured

To earn BU credits, a project has to measure and prove a few things. An independent reviewer checks the evidence before any credits are issued.

• Structural habitat metric (obligatory). Every basket must include one structural metric, e.g. canopy / vegetation cover.

• Relative abundance of basket taxa. Assemblage scores are built from the relative abundance of larger species groups.

• Conservation value of species. Abundance is weighted by each taxon's conservation value.

• Basket composition (≥5 metrics). ≥5 pre-determined, peer-reviewed, site-specific metrics reflecting the objectives.

• Sampling effort per metric. Each metric is measured with a fixed, repeatable effort so uplift is comparable.

Who takes part

• Standard Registry. Owns the policy, approves participants, anchors each issuance to its evidence.

• Project Proponent. Registers the project and submits monitoring reports.

• Validation & Verification Body. Independently validates the design and verifies monitored data.

How it works

1. 1

   The project team registers the project and its plan.

2. 2

   An independent reviewer checks that the plan is sound and that the benefit is real and would not have happened anyway.

3. 3

   The team looks after the site and measures the agreed indicators over time.

4. 4

   The independent reviewer verifies those measurements.

5. 5

   Credits are issued for the verified result, and a buyer can retire a credit to claim the benefit once.