Mapping of important biodiversity and ecosystems across our estate and area of influence

Updated 18 August 2026

The biological diversity of ecosystems, species and genes across the locations where we operate is complex and varied, as is the status and productivity of these assets in supporting people, nature and society. A standardised methodology for identifying important biodiversity and ecosystem features across these biogeographic regions (areas of common climate, geology, landform, native vegetation and species) is important for managing our stewardship of nature.

Different approaches to identifying key biodiversity and ecosystem features result in varied data and methods. To address this complexity, we developed and improved our own internal approach to provide a broadly consistent global baseline and scalable results using a combination of recognised global and national datasets. We built upon initial research projects by the CSIRO and 2ROG, an environmental consultancy, to break down the methodology into simplified, repeatable steps and production-ready workflows.

The resulting dataset adopts a definition of ‘Important Biodiversity and Ecosystems’ (IBE) and implements that definition using a spatially explicit approach to mapping these natural assets across our sites and surrounding 50-kilometre area of influence, in a consistent and repeatable format. A spatially explicit approach involves analysing data through a Geographic Information System to develop interactive maps and visual analytics.

Our 2030 Healthy environment goal is to contribute to global nature-positive action by having at least 2 million hectares of land and water we steward^{1, 2} under conservation, restoration or regenerative practices by FY2030. This is an area approximately equivalent to 30 per cent of the land and water we stewarded² as at FY2023. In doing so, we will take into account areas of highest ecosystem value both within and outside our own operational footprint, in partnership with Indigenous peoples and local communities. Our approach to identifying opportunity areas where conservation, restoration and/or regenerative practices could be applied includes a particular focus on non-operational areas, taking into account areas of highest ecosystem value as determined through the IBE spatial data layer. as determined through the IBE spatial data layer.

Methodology and configuration

In May 2026, an updated weighted overlay methodology was released to create the IBE spatial data layer. This approach combines and calibrates reputable global-scale datasets, grouped into complementary thematic indices representing key ecological (biodiversity) and socio-economic (ecosystem services) drivers. Index weightings are informed by internal subject matter expert input, enabling identification of the highest priority IBE locations within each geographic area.

This standardised science-based methodology supports continuous improvement as new datasets become available and understanding of key biodiversity and ecosystem predictors evolve. It also enables a second phase of IBE mapping, where higher resolution asset-specific datasets and geospatial intelligence can be incorporated on demand to provide more detailed, asset-centric, nature-related insights.

Table 1: IBE 2.0 index structure, update frequency and FY2026 input datasets.