Frank Hawkins

One important goal of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) aims to halt extinction of species and reduce extinction risk 10‐fold by 2050. To help ensure that the actions taken under the targets of the KMGBF contribute to reducing species’ extinction risk, the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric was designed to enable science‐based target setting for species. STAR quantifies the potential contribution of threat abatement actions or habitat restoration to reducing species’ extinction risk in an area. To support the effective implementation of STAR, we developed a framework to move from determining the threat abatement component of STAR (STAR _T ) using global data to calibrating STAR _T using local data to setting targets and calculating realized STAR _T scores to measure progress. The framework outlines the specific approaches that can be implemented to calculate these different STAR _T metrics. First, estimated STAR _T scores use global data to provide an initial indication of the species and threats expected to be present within an area. Then, calibrated STAR _T scores involve confirming the local presence of species and threats, and the locally verified data allow for setting robust threat abatement targets, which can be articulated as target STAR _T scores. Calibrated STAR _T can also inform both reactive and proactive threat management. Finally, changes in threat intensity are then monitored and used to calculate realized STAR _T . Achieving realized STAR _T requires actors to not only reduce existing threats but also prevent additional threats emerging within the area. This framework provides a means for all potential actors, working across varying spatial scales, to quantify, plan, monitor, and deliver interventions to address species threats and then report the impact of the interventions using a consistent method and metric that are comparable and aggregable across actors and locations.

1. Aim: The Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric was developed to support setting and measuring progress towards science-based targets for species conservation, in alignment with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The STAR metric quantifies the potential reduction in species’ global extinction risk achievable through actions to abate threats (STAR _T ) and restore habitat (STAR _R ). The STAR metric is used across multiple sectors to assess contributions to nature-positive species outcomes and implement action for biodiversity. Here we present a substantially enhanced global estimate of STAR _T for terrestrial vertebrates. Developed in response to user demand, this work integrates advancements in methodology and data quality, increased spatial resolution, and addition of reptile species. Location: Global Time Period: Current Major taxa studied: Terrestrial vertebrates Methods: STAR _T was estimated at 1km ² resolution for 9,100 species of threatened and Near Threatened birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, using IUCN Red List assessments (version 2025-1) and area of habitat (AOH) maps generated using an advanced data-driven methodology and satellite-derived land-cover data. AOH maps were validated using a two-stage protocol using species observation data. Results: The six countries with the highest estimated STAR _T scores, and therefore the largest individual potential to reduce global extinction risk via tackling threats nationally were Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia, Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia (each contributing over 5% of global estimated STAR _T ). The threat with the greatest individual potential to reduce extinction risk was annual and perennial non-timber crops (21.2% of global STAR _T ). Main conclusions: Targeted actions to tackle a few high-impact threats in a few discrete locations, and cumulative effort across multiple areas with lower individual potential, are both required to meaningfully reduce species’ extinction risk through threat abatement. This global scale estimation of STAR _T enables consistent scoping of conservation opportunity over large areas and provides the critical initial data to support planning and action.

Achieving global conservation policy goals requires the ability to set and measure progress toward science‐based targets for biodiversity. The species threat abatement and restoration (STAR) metric was developed to enable actors to set science‐based targets for species. STAR scores quantify the potential contribution of actions to abate threats and restore habitat to reduce species extinction risk in a particular place and can be aggregated and disaggregated among species, threats, and areas of interest. Estimated STAR scores are based on data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and provide initial information on the species and threats expected to be present in an area. Operationalization of the metric requires verification of the presence of species and the presence and severity of threats in the area to inform calculation of a calibration STAR score. We applied a pilot calibration process for the threat abatement component of STAR (STAR _T ) in the San Jose northern subcatchments landscape in Costa Rica. We used specialist knowledge and geospatial analyses of habitat loss to determine the species present and the intensity of threats affecting them in the landscape. Calibration yielded a more even distribution of scores among threats than was apparent from estimated STAR _T and identified that reducing the threat from livestock farming and ranching had the greatest potential to reduce species extirpation risk. Calibration also showed that there is an opportunity to prevent the extinction of a critically endangered endemic amphibian, but the species’ presence requires confirmation. The pilot demonstrated how specialist knowledge and geospatial analyses can be combined during calibration to produce a calibrated STAR _T score capable of informing science‐based targets for species conservation. Our calibration process can be applied to other areas.

The potentially catastrophic loss of biodiversity happening around the globe is largely caused by economic activity that is not connected to its environmental impacts. To improve positive and reduce negative outcomes for nature, investment decision-makers in companies, governments, and the finance sector need data on the impacts of economic activity, especially production of food and other commodities, on biodiversity, at fine geographical scales. This Essay argues that the data allowing us to identify the most important factors causing biodiversity loss are already available. However, we need more data to track impacts on biodiversity up value chains into pathways, toolkits, and approaches that will facilitate verified, concrete actions by companies and consumers to reduce threats to biodiversity in particular places. Our current knowledge is insufficient to deliver complete responses to the biodiversity crisis, but this is no excuse for delaying action.

Ensuring that companies can assess and manage their impacts on biodiversity will be crucial to solving the current biodiversity crisis, and regulatory and public pressure to disclose these impacts is increasing. Top‐down intactness metrics (e.g., Mean Species Abundance) can be valuable for generating high‐level or first‐tier assessments of impact risk but do not provide sufficient precision or guidance for companies, regulators, or third‐party assessors. New metrics based on bottom‐up assessments of biodiversity (e.g., the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration metric) can accommodate spatial variation of biodiversity and provide more specific guidance for actions to avoid, reduce, remediate, and compensate for impacts and to identify positive opportunities.

The Biodiversity Heritage Library works collaboratively to make biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community.