ESRS E4 — Biodiversity and ecosystems
The hardest CSRD standard to document — a NORMAXIS specialty

ESRS E4 is widely seen as the most difficult CSRD standard: it requires companies to disclose their impacts and dependencies on biodiversity and ecosystems, and — where material — a biodiversity transition plan. Unlike climate, biodiversity has no single metric; the data is local, seasonal and multi-dimensional. NORMAXIS produces the underlying evidence through the proprietary BPS tool (Biodiversity Performance Score), operated by IRICE as an independent third party under ISO/IEC 17065, and connects it to TNFD, SFDR PAI 7 and EU Taxonomy DNSH criterion 6.

What E4 requires

Impacts, dependencies, transition plan.

Impacts

Land-use change, pollution, resource use and their effects on species and habitats — across own operations and the value chain.

Dependencies

How the business relies on ecosystem services (water, pollination, soil, climate regulation) — and the risk their degradation creates.

Transition plan

Where material, a plan compatible with halting and reversing biodiversity loss — with targets, actions and monitoring.

The NORMAXIS answer

Measurable biodiversity data, independently verified.

Reporting on biodiversity is only credible if the underlying data is measurable and independent. The BPS (Biodiversity Performance Score) assesses the state and management of biodiversity through 70+ criteria on an A–G scale, aligned with ESRS E4 and SFDR. It is operated by IRICE as an independent third party under ISO/IEC 17065 — the measurement (ARKENOR) and the verification (IRICE) are never carried out by the same team, which is the condition of impartiality and of the report's credibility.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Because biodiversity has no single metric. The data is local, seasonal and multi-dimensional (species, habitats, ecosystem services), and must cover both impacts and dependencies across the value chain. It requires field surveys and a structured method, not a single indicator.
The BPS provides a measurable, A–G scored assessment of biodiversity state and management, aligned with ESRS E4 and SFDR. It supplies the auditable evidence behind the E4 disclosures.
No. To preserve impartiality (ISO/IEC 17065), measurement (ARKENOR) and third-party verification (IRICE) are separated — this is what makes the reported biodiversity data defensible.

Scope an ESRS E4 assignment

Measurable biodiversity data via the BPS, structured impact/dependency analysis, and a transition plan — with verification handled independently by IRICE.

Sans engagement · Réponse sous 48 h ouvrées · Données confidentielles