3Bee, the Italian nature tech company that develops technologies to monitor, protect and restore biodiversity, will release a standardised biodiversity framework later this year to support the first certified biodiversity credits for the European voluntary market in 2025.

The company is currently piloting 150 monitoring initiatives in Italy, Spain, France, Germany and the UK, with plans to launch 100 more in the coming weeks.

“Our goal is to create a framework that all companies in Europe can use to monitor biodiversity progress at their sites,” said Simone Mazzola, COO of 3Bee.

The 3Bee framework, based on the company’s Element-E protocol and verified by Bureau Veritas, uses bioacoustics and remote sensing technologies to monitor and quantify biodiversity improvements at the site level.

Since the beginning of June, 3Bee has been working with the Italian standardisation body UNI to develop “Guidelines for Biodiversity and Biodiversity Credits’ Enhancement” to help Italian and European companies monitor biodiversity gains at their sites. UNI is part of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN).

The framework consists of four main steps:
1. Assessment: Detailed habitat and biodiversity analysis of the site.
2. Regeneration: Identification of targeted restoration actions.
3. Communication: Sharing results through a dedicated website and the Element-E label, which certifies use of the protocol.
4. Monitoring and reporting: Preparation of the ESG Biodiversity Report in accordance with international standards.

3Bee plans to introduce mandatory third-party verification to its biodiversity crediting mechanism. The company expects to generate its first certified voluntary biodiversity credits next year. “We want to help companies offset their impact on nature in the countries where they operate through nature restoration projects,” Mazzola explains.

The market for biodiversity credits is still in its infancy, and there is debate about how to ensure that credits do not cause damage to nature elsewhere. A credit under the 3Bee framework could be equivalent to one hectare restored for one year, with prices ranging from €2,000 to €10,000 per unit, depending on the location of the project. Payments will be based on results and will be made when results are achieved.

3Bee is also working with standards bodies such as Verra, Cercarbono and Gold Standard to develop a methodology for the European voluntary biodiversity market, using the Mean Species Abundance (MSA) index to measure the presence of umbrella pollinator species in specific areas.

The company’s approach is in line with the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and ensures compliance with European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. 3Bee is open to working with other frameworks  such as the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) and the Taskforce on Nature Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).

Continue the conversation around nature data and analytics, measuring impact and supporting disclosures for ag businesses at World Agri-Tech in London, on September 30 – October 1, where you can catch Simone and the 3Bee team! Register your place.