A global animal health company with operations in over 90 countries engaged BWD to conduct a comprehensive nature assessment.
The company’s business model is entwined with nature. It depends on genetic material and natural resources for pharmaceutical manufacturing, while its production processes emit pollutants and waste that can impact natural systems. With increasing nature-related regulation and emerging mandatory reporting standards such as the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), the company needed to understand its nature-related risks and opportunities – and prepare for disclosure.
BWD applied the TNFD’s LEAP approach to conduct the assessment, incorporating sector-specific guidance for pharmaceuticals. We conducted a geospatial screening of 65 owned and operated sites against internationally recognized biodiversity datasets – including Key Biodiversity Areas, Natura 2000, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and the World Database on Protected Areas – to identifying nine sites within one kilometre of biodiversity-sensitive areas, four of which were nature impact hotspots. We then evaluated the company’s dependencies and impacts on nature across its value chain, and assessed how these translate into business risks and opportunities across water use, materials sourcing, energy, pollution, and solid waste.
The assessment prioritized a set of strategic recommendations: establishing water reduction targets at high-stress sites, engaging suppliers on upstream sourcing impacts, prioritizing renewable energy alternatives, and strengthening the internal understanding of the nexus between biodiversity, climate, and the business model. We also provided guidance on integrating the results into the company’s existing ESRS-aligned materiality assessment and preparing nature-related disclosures under ESRS E4. As a result, the company is equipped to manage nature-related risk with confidence and meet disclosure expectations as they evolve.
