Verisk Maplecroft launches new subnational data mapping global biodiversity and deforestation risks
As part of our commitment to continually improve the depth, breadth and accuracy of our global risk data, we have launched a range of new and updated subnational risk indices covering the key aspects of biodiversity and deforestation.
The new indices will enable companies and investors to identify and map the potential impacts and dependencies of their global operations, supply chains and investments on the world’s natural capital. The data has been specifically developed to help clients align with standards and regulations such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The new indices include:
- Deforestation Rates: New index measuring the rate of deforestation of natural forests with the period of change aligned to the EUDR
- Deforestation Vulnerability: New index assessing the factors which make a country vulnerable to deforestation
- Forest Loss: New index mapping the extent of forest loss (a broader definition than used in Deforestation Rates) from all human and natural causes
- Presence of Significant Biodiversity: Enhanced index assessing the significance of biodiversity in an area by integrating biodiversity richness indicators to align with TNFD guidance
- Proximity to Protected Areas: Assesses the proximity of any asset to a protected area using the market-leading IBAT data that aligns with TNFD
“As global environmental regulations tighten and stakeholder scrutiny increases, businesses are under growing pressure to assess their exposure to biodiversity- and conservation-related risks,” says Sam Haynes, Vice President of Data and Analytics at Verisk Maplecroft. “These indices support high-level environmental risk screening by identifying where operations intersect with protected or biodiversity-rich areas.”
In addition to new resources covering nature, we have also updated our Climate Risk Data to include enhanced, climate conditioned, Water Stress and Wildfire Hazard indices that draw on the latest CMIP 6 climate data:
- Water Stress: Evaluates total water use relative to total annual available flow, across three future climate scenarios and three time periods, to assess the impact of climate change on water stress globally
- Wildfire Risk: Identifies regions where wildfire threats to human and nature are most critical under baseline and future climate scenarios across six time periods
Collectively, these assessments highlight areas of the world expected to experience the most significant changes in future wildfire potential.
All new indices are available in our client portal, the Global Risk Dashboard (GRiD), which also features a significant enhancement. Our new “Explain the Index” function now provides written analysis for any risk score across all countries and issues. It breaks down what’s driving the scores, provides trend analysis and identifies statistically significant changes in the data. The new GRiD feature, which is also available via API, will help clients better interpret complex issues, making actionable insights easier.