Evaluating the LIFE metric: flexibility, use cases and value for biodiversity decision-making

The Biodiversity Consultancy team are excited to have collaborated with the Conservation Science Group at the University of Cambridge on a new pre-print exploring the uses of the LIFE metric – an innovative measure of the significance of a given area for global biodiversity conservation. 

The LIFE metric (Land-cover change Impacts on Future Extinctions) provides a measure of how changes in land use can contribute to reducing or increasing the extinction risk of species at that location.

Led by Alison Eyres, this initial pre-print outlines a range of different uses for the metric, from helping to assess the biodiversity impacts of recent land use change, to tracing the biodiversity impacts of global commodity chains, prioritising areas for conservation projects, restoration or offset sites, and evaluating the effectiveness of projects.

This has many implications for both conservation and business actors wanting to prioritise action for addressing biodiversity loss in the landscapes they interact with. For example, it could help businesses with questions such as:

• In which parts of my value chain is extinction risk highest and should thus be prioritised for further assessment?
• Which restoration options in my sourcing landscapes will have the greatest biodiversity benefits?
• In initial project screenings, are there potential high extinction risk impacts from the proposed activities, and should alternative options be considered?

By assessing extinction risk, it aligns with leading guidance on assessing the state of nature. For example, extinction risk is one of the consensus state of nature metrics being piloted by our partners, Nature Positive Initiative, and The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) considers extinction risk a key aspect of the state of nature. LIFE offers a complementary perspective on extinction risk to the STAR metric, focusing on land use (the largest driver of terrestrial biodiversity loss), and adding in useful comparisons to historical ranges.

The LIFE metric is thus another important tool in the toolbox that businesses can use to help understand the biodiversity significance of the locations they interact with —  but it should be used cautiously. As with any global datasets, it makes assumptions and has limitations. It should be used alongside local knowledge and ground-truthing – particularly when being used for fine-scale analysis or to decide upon individual sites for restoration or protection.

Read the pre-print here. Contact us if you have any questions and to share any feedback.

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