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Global architecture, engineering and consultancy firm Ramboll has launched a new European Biodiversity Metric (EBM), described as the first habitats-based biodiversity metric designed to cover continental Europe. The tool is intended to help organisations assess, manage and improve biodiversity outcomes across development projects, operational sites and resource extraction activities.

Announced on 5 February 2026, the European Biodiversity Metric expands Ramboll’s existing suite of biodiversity tools, which already includes the Global Biodiversity Metric (GBM) and the Americas Biodiversity Metric (ABM). Together, the tools are designed to measure biodiversity change across a wide range of land uses, including data centres, logistics hubs, offices, mining sites, and energy and transport infrastructure.

Like Ramboll’s other biodiversity metrics, the EBM is open source and free to download. The company says this approach is intended to support consistent biodiversity measurement and decision-making across sectors, while lowering barriers to uptake for organisations operating in Europe.

Developed with European policy alignment

The European Biodiversity Metric was commissioned by Amazon and supported by Ramboll’s internal thought leadership programme. Development was led by Ramboll specialists, with input from an industry steering group made up of stakeholders and biodiversity metric experts from across Europe.

According to Ramboll, the metric has been designed to align directly with European Union policy frameworks and datasets. It uses habitats-based assessments drawn from the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) and can be applied across all 38 member and cooperating countries within the European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet).

By providing a standardised methodology, the EBM is intended to support organisations seeking to measure biodiversity gains, losses and compensatory actions in a transparent and consistent way. Ramboll says this is particularly relevant as biodiversity considerations become more embedded in European regulation and corporate reporting.

A key feature of the EBM is its methodological consistency with Ramboll’s existing biodiversity tools. Because the EBM uses the same calculation approach as the ABM and GBM, organisations operating across multiple regions can apply a harmonised framework to biodiversity measurement across their global portfolios.

Supporting regulatory compliance and global targets

Ramboll positions the EBM as a practical tool for organisations navigating an increasingly complex biodiversity policy landscape. The company says the metric can help support compliance with emerging European regulation, including the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.

The tool is also designed to support progress against broader biodiversity goals, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. By providing access to spatially relevant and standardised data, Ramboll says the EBM can be used to monitor ecosystem condition, guide restoration activities and support policy integration at site and portfolio level.

The launch comes amid growing concern about the state of biodiversity across Europe. Many habitats are currently assessed as being in unfavourable condition, while businesses and infrastructure developers face increasing scrutiny over land use impacts and nature-related risks.

Addressing a gap in biodiversity measurement

Vikki Patton, Biodiversity Metrics Global Lead at Ramboll, said the EBM addresses a lack of consistent tools for tracking biodiversity outcomes at a European scale.

“Europe’s biodiversity is under intense pressure, with many habitats in an unfavourable condition,” Patton said. “There is currently no standard route to quantifiably track biodiversity ‘wins’ at the European scale, nor a means to measure diversity gains, losses and compensatory actions for businesses active within Europe. The EBM fills this critical gap by offering a standardised, transparent and scientifically robust tool that aligns directly with EU policy frameworks and datasets.”

Ramboll says the metric is intended to be used across the lifecycle of projects, from early design through to construction, operation and restoration. By applying a consistent approach, organisations can compare biodiversity outcomes across sites and geographies, and integrate biodiversity considerations into wider environmental and sustainability strategies.

Amazon support and open access approach

Amazon funded the development of the EBM as part of its wider work to address biodiversity impacts across its operations. The company says the open-source nature of the metric was a central consideration in its involvement, allowing other organisations to adopt the tool without licensing barriers.

Justine Mahler, Director of Biodiversity at Amazon, said the metric would support more consistent biodiversity decision-making during the development of new facilities.

“At Amazon, we’re working to protect and restore biodiversity across our global operations,” Mahler said. “The EBM represents a significant step forward in our ability to make data-driven decisions that avoid and reduce habitat loss during the design and construction of our facilities.”

Mahler added that making the metric freely available was intended to support wider uptake across European business.

“By funding the development of this open-source tool and making it freely available to all organizations, we hope to advance biodiversity protection efforts across Europe and demonstrate that rigorous biodiversity assessment can be integrated into business operations at scale,” she said. “This metric will help us and others translate intentions into measurable action.”

A growing focus on nature in business decision-making

The launch of the European Biodiversity Metric reflects a broader shift toward more structured approaches to measuring nature-related impacts and dependencies. As regulatory expectations increase and frameworks such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures gain traction, tools that provide consistent, policy-aligned biodiversity data are becoming more relevant to corporate decision-making.

Ramboll says the EBM is intended to sit within this evolving landscape, offering a practical method for organisations seeking to better understand and manage their interactions with nature across European operations.

With biodiversity now recognised as a material issue for many sectors, the company expects demand for standardised and transparent assessment tools to continue to grow as organisations move from high-level commitments toward implementation and reporting.