2024 integrated report

“WWF’s latest Living Planet report⁽¹⁾ makes an alarming observation: populations of wild vertebrate animals have fallen by 73% in 50 years. Human pressure on natural species and their habitats is at the origin of this decline. Among the main causes are unsustainable agriculture, forestry, transport and pollution. Climate change could also become the main threat to biodiversity, as rising temperatures are already leading to the extinction of some species. As we know, environmental risks are some of the most significant threats facing us over the next decade⁽²⁾, particularly those linked to extreme weather phenomena, the loss of biodiversity and the collapse of ecosystems.

At NatureMetrics, we believe we can collectively turn the tide. To do so, organisations need access to biodiversity data that is both comprehensive and practical - turning nature’s complexity into clear, actionable intelligence. Our solution is based on environmental DNA (eDNA) technology. In practice, we analyse the tiny traces left in the water, soil and air by living organisms. Carrying out this analysis is imperative because the invisible part of biodiversity is vital to the functioning of our ecosystems. This data feeds into a digital platform that combines ease of use and cost control. Companies and organisations can thus measure and manage their impacts on nature, based on reliable data, in order to implement corrective actions and monitor their effectiveness over time.

To halt the erosion of biodiversity, we must act quickly and on a large scale, which means that our solution must be accessible to as many people as possible. In this respect, our partnership with BNP Paribas was decisive. When the Group invested in our company in 2022, via its BNP Paribas Solar Impulse Venture Fund, we revealed the environmental DNA of the scientific world and made it relevant and actionable in the economic world. We have made our method both attractive and suitable for diversified business sectors. Thus, we provide the world’s first nature performance monitoring service, available by subscription and accessible via a highly intuitive digital dashboard. After our second fund-raising operation in 2024, with the support of BNP Paribas, we continued our expansion, notably in North America, and increased our use of satellite imagery while reinforcing our teams of data scientists and artificial intelligence experts in order to aggregate and synthesise data on biodiversity.

With the emergence of the global framework of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures⁽³⁾ (TNFD) and the entry into force of the CSRD⁽⁴⁾, we are seeing a growing need for support in biodiversity reporting. Compliant with regulatory requirements, our solution helps companies to measure, with supporting data, their environmental impact and their degree of dependence on nature, as they already do for their carbon footprint.

This increased awareness must lead to a change in practices. Reversing this trend is vital because more than half the world’s GDP⁽⁵⁾ depends directly on the health of our ecosystems⁽⁶⁾ - the other half depends on them indirectly - but also, and above all, because biodiversity is the very foundation of our civilisation and its future.”

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED ON 4 MARCH 2025.