Today, CLIMB is launched - a completely new model for calculating, valuing and compensating for biodiversity. Ecogain has developed the model together with several major players in Swedish industry, with the support of Swedish Mining Innovation.
Hello there Tove Hägglund, Chief Biodiversity & Business Officer at Ecogain who has been involved in the project, can you explain what CLIMB is?
- CLIMB is a model that evaluates and compares the current situation, as well as negative and positive impacts on biodiversity, when changing a land area. It was developed in Sweden and is anchored in research. At present, CLIMB is adapted to Swedish conditions, but the intention is to extend it first to the Nordic countries and then to Europe.
What value does CLIMB bring to a business?
- The greatest value is that biodiversity knowledge is accessible. Because this is a complex subject - you need to be an expert in ecology to be able to judge whether, for example, a certain wetland is more important than a certain forest stand. CLIMB makes it easier.
Examples of what CLIMB will bring to our customers:
- Decision support in siting and planning stages, for environmental assessment and reporting.
- Better predictability in permitting processes. In the past, it has been difficult for both operators and authorities to know what requirements are reasonable and when the compensation is sufficient. CLIMB will be able to answer this.
- Informing investment decisions in nature - you can see exactly how many biodiversity units a specific action delivers.
- Internal pride in biodiversity efforts - it can be easier to relate to concrete numbers than descriptions of actions.
- Basis for credible and transparent reporting on biodiversity, not least in relation to future EU reporting requirements.
Who will be the first to use CLIMB?
- CLIMB is already used by our partners in the project! The model has been the basis for compensation calculations in two environmental assessments, for Talga and Heidelberg Materials, and is described as a condition in court decisions. All partners in the project are very keen to start calculations on a larger scale. LKAB is now mapping its entire land holdings and will use CLIMB to calculate the current situation.
- Participants in our user groups will also be early adopters. The greatest interest at the moment is from businesses that use nature, go through environmental permitting processes, and have their own biodiversity targets. For example, OX2 will calculate based on CLIMB in a planned photovoltaic plant in Åland.
- Then I hope for the actors in the built environment. I strongly believe in implementing CLIMB in the certifications that are currently made for the impact of buildings and infrastructure projects on biodiversity. The entire municipal sector should also want to get started with CLIMB quickly. A municipality that knows what its biodiversity balance sheet looks like can do good planning work and develop a compensation strategy.
When can we start using CLIMB?
- You can already start mapping your land holdings now. We recommend a full inventory according to the Swedish standard, down to class 7, to ensure a complete CLIMB calculation. The benefit is that you will be well prepared for the 2024 CSRD reporting. If you already know your baseline, you know what to report against. You will be able to communicate clearly and transparently in your sustainability reporting, and be perceived as credible.
- Another important advantage of being early on the ball is that you have time to build up internal expertise. This gives you a head start and makes you faster when it's time to scale up to greater or more demands and expectations. Plus all the benefits you always get from being the one who drives the development rather than following others.
The project ends on September 1, 2023, at which point the CLIMB model will be available to all.
If I want to know more?
- Please contact us at Ecogain or any of our partners in the project. We can answer questions about application and give advice. Information about CLIMB is also available at climb.ecogain.se
Please contact me if you have any questions or want to know more about CLIMB
Tove Hägglund
tove.hagglund@ecogain.se
Phone +46 (0)10-405 90 21
CLIMB is a project that has been run within the strategic innovation program Swedish Mining Innovation, which is a joint initiative of Vinnova, Formas and the Swedish Energy Agency.
