Guidance

This guidance outlines how to to identify, assess, manage and disclose nature-related issues through the ‘LEAP’ approach (Locate, Evaluate, Assess, and Prepare). It is designed for use by organisations of all sizes, and across all sectors and geographies..

Use this resource for the following Actions of Impact Management:

• Identify: Understand an organisation’s potentially material sources of nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities.
• Measure, assess and value: Understand which nature-related risks and opportunities are material and should be disclosed by the organisation. This is done through the identification, measurement and prioritisation of nature-related risks and opportunities originating from the identified dependencies and impacts on nature (see Identify above).
• Set targets and plan: Help achieve a particular corporate goal aligned with the organisation’s mission and values (such as aligning with the targets and goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)).

The IFVI (Integrated Financial and Value Impact) Accounting Methodologies are a set of accounting methodologies developed to integrate financial and non-financial value creation into corporate reporting. These methodologies provide guidance on how to measure, assess, and report on the impacts of business activities on environmental, social, and economic dimensions, alongside traditional financial metrics.

The IFVI Accounting Methologies are building on exising work carried out by the Impact Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI).

Use this resource for the following Actions of Impact Management:

• Measure, assess and value: Value impacts on people and the natural environment in order to inform prioritisation and decision-making processes, as well as communicate impacts in impact account statements.

The IRIS+ Impact Performance Benchmarks are analytic tools that aggregate sector-specific impact results across investments, enabling investors to compare their impact performance to peers and to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Use this resource for the following Actions of Impact Management:

• Benchmarking and rating: Compare impact results to four different comparison points; internal impact targets, past performance, results ofa peer group, and the pace of change required to acheive a science-based target or SDG.

The IRIS+ impact performance benchmarks are analytic tools that aggregate sector-specific impact results across investments, enabling investors to compare their impact performance to peers and to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Use this resource to:

• Benchmarking and rating: Compare your investment to others in the same Impact Theme or Category, as well as against the UN SDGs.

The Strategic Goals document describes the core concepts for measuring impact to contribute to the SDGs, both through the use of IRIS+ Core Metrics Sets and the IRIS Catalogue of Metrics.

Use this resource for the following Actions of Impact Management:

• Strategy: Create a Theory of Change from evidence within the IRIS+ Thematic Taxonomy.
• Identify: Discover other factors to consider, including impact risk.
• Measure, assess and value: Define what to measure in the context of the investment strategy, by accessing the IRIS+ Core Metrics Sets.
• Set targets and plan: Access third-party resources on targets.
• Implement: Develop strategies to achieve established social and environmental impact objectives.
• Monitor, learn and adapt: Assess progress towards the SDGs using relevant IRIS metrics and terminology.

The IRIS metrics are designed to support impact investors with measuring the social, environmental and financial performance of their investments. They can be used as part of the broader IRIS+ System for measuring, managing and optimising impact.

Use this resource for the following Actions of Impact Management:

• Measure, assess and value: Access usage and calculation guidance for the selected metrics.

This introductory document outlines how to use IRIS+ to inform investors’ decision-making when building an impact portfolio, enhancing their ability to achieve their impact and financial goals.

Use this resource to:

• Measure, assess and value: Integrate impact actors into a single-asset-class impact portfolio in private markets.

This document provides guidance on how to use IRIS+ to incorporate the voices of affected stakeholders into impact measurement and management practice.

Use this resource to:

• Use IRIS+ to incorporate the voices of affected stakeholders into impact measurement and management practice.

The “How to use IRIS+ for decision-making” document provides practical guidance on how to use IRIS+ Core Metrics Sets to inform decision-making to enhance impact throughout the investment lifecycle.

Use this resource to:

• Implement: Understand how to track and mine impact data throughout the investment lifecycle

This document belongs to the How-To guidance series of IRIS+ which provide examples of how to use IRIS+ in practice.

Use this resource to:

• Measure, assess and value: Answer what to measure and how to use impact data to inform decision-making.