Nature Positive Role of the Technology Sector 2025

ACTION 4 Promote land stewardship and restoration 4.1 Prioritize brownfield development –Prioritize new developments in brownfield, or previously developed, areas to avoid net new impact. This action avoids direct impacts on intact natural ecosystems. 4.2 Assess biodiversity risk in sites –Utilize biodiversity risk assessments to avoid construction on any high-value ecosystems, such as critical habitats or protected areas. –When selecting sites, brownfield or otherwise, companies can avoid developing on the following categories of land: –IUCN categories la and lb Protected Areas.92 –Alliance for Zero Extinction sites.93 –World Heritage Sites94 and other critical habitats. –In some other categories of land, companies may seek to avoid development unless specifically promoting positive climate, environmental or social outcomes at a local level, for example: –Areas defined as critical habitats by IFC PS695. –IUCN categories II-IV Protected Areas.96 –Other key biodiversity areas (KBAs)97 and areas of high ecological, cultural or community significance. 4.3 Establish biodiversity baseline –For new sites, conduct land assessments to identify any existing harm and establish a baseline to compare against when decommissioning a site to ensure any impact is remediated. –This action ensures that companies track the impacts of their own operations on land and ecosystems over time.Priority actions for land use Action Leadership Feasibility Mitigation hierarchy Sub-sector 4.1Prioritize new developments in brownfield areas to avoid net new impact.Leading High Avoid/reduce 4.2Utilize biodiversity risk assessments when conducting site selection to avoid construction on any high-value ecosystems, such as critical habitats or protected areas. Aspirational High Avoid/reduce 4.3For new sites, conduct land assessments to identify any existing harm and establish a baseline to compare against when decommissioning a site to ensure any impact is remediated.Aspirational High Restore/compensate 4.4Consider green roofs and utilize native landscaping that promotes local biodiversity, is pollinator friendly and eliminates or reduces irrigation requirements. Leading High Restore/compensate 4.5Use biodiversity offsetting to account for any unavoidable habitat conversion, ensuring no net biodiversity loss.Aspirational High Restore/compensate 4.6Engage community stakeholders to ensure those stakeholders recognize and benefit from project value.Foundational High Restore/compensate Semiconductors Data centres Hardware Nature Positive: Role of the Technology Sector 36