Ramboll launches first-of-its-kind European Biodiversity Metric

Global architecture, engineering, and consultancy company Ramboll has today announced the launch of its new European Biodiversity Metric (EBM), the first habitats-based biodiversity metric to cover continental Europe.

The EBM joins Ramboll’s Global Biodiversity Metric (GBM) and Americas Biodiversity Metric (ABM) in a suite of tools designed to measure the biodiversity change on development projects, existing operational sites and sites used for natural resource extraction – such as data centres, logistics centres, offices, mining sites, energy and transport infrastructure . Like Ramboll’s previous biodiversity metrics and user guides, the EBM is open-source and free to download.

Commissioned by Amazon, with support from Ramboll’s thought leadership programme, the EBM was developed by Ramboll’s experts with the input of an industry steering group composed of key stakeholders and metric experts from across Europe. The metric provides a standardised, transparent and scientifically robust tool, aligned directly with EU policy frameworks and datasets, to enable organisations to measure and improve the biodiversity value of their sites.

The EBM can be used across all 38 member and co-operating countries across the European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet) and was developed utilising the European Nature Information System (EUNIS). Moreover, because the EBM uses the same calculations as the ABM and GBM, organisations will be able to switch between metrics across different geographies, supporting a harmonised approach to biodiversity measurement across global operations.

This will ensure access to standardised, spatially relevant data to monitor ecosystem health, guide restoration, and support policy integration, helping to operationalise the targets of both regional and global biodiversity objectives such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, as well as compliance with regulations such as the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.

Commenting on the launch of the EBM, Vikki Patton, Biodiversity Metrics Global Lead at Ramboll, said:

“Europe’s biodiversity is under intense pressure, with many habitats in an unfavourable condition. There is currently no standard route to quantifiably track biodiversity ‘wins’ at the European scale, nor a means to measure diversity gains, losses and compensatory actions for businesses active within Europe. The EBM fills this critical gap by offering a standardised, transparent and scientifically robust tool that aligns directly with EU policy frameworks and datasets.”

Justine Mahler, Director of Biodiversity at Amazon, said:

“At Amazon, we're working to protect and restore biodiversity across our global operations. The EBM represents a significant step forward in our ability to make data-driven decisions that avoid and reduce habitat loss during the design and construction of our facilities. By funding the development of this open-source tool and making it freely available to all organisations, we hope to advance biodiversity protection efforts across Europe and demonstrate that rigorous biodiversity assessment can be integrated into business operations at scale. This metric will help us – and others – translate intentions into measurable action.”