R-evolution partners with KPMG Sweden on digital twin technology for biodiversity impact verification

R-evolution, in collaboration with KPMG Sweden, has launched a report exploring the significant role of digital twin technology in monitoring and validating corporate biodiversity impacts. KPMG Sweden and R-evolution’s Green Cubes Digital Twin technology offer companies effective means to enhance biodiversity auditing and reporting.

“Preserving nature and biodiversity is a critical business priority. We are in the sixth massive extinction era, where we have lost over 70% of wildlife population since 1970. The only way to stop this is to give real value to nature. I am 100% convinced that digital reality from Hexagon AB and partner solutions can transform biodiversity conservation efforts to make these values transparent and bankable." - Erik Josefsson, CEO, R-evolution, Hexagon’s green-tech subsidiary.

Make nature visible
As businesses aim for biodiversity maturity, the integration of digital twins into comprehensive biodiversity strategies is crucial. These advanced models provide organizations with insights into their nature-related impacts, dependencies, and risks. The KPMG Sweden Make Nature Visible report outlines how digital twin technologies can enhance the measurement and disclosure of corporate biodiversity impacts. The report suggests that consolidating existing data, targeting essential areas for digital twin implementation, and leveraging generated insights can aid businesses in meeting regulatory requirements, managing biodiversity impacts, and aligning with evolving sustainability reporting frameworks. By scaling up digital twins, companies can continuously refine their targets and transition plans for a sustainable future.

Global biodiversity efforts at COP16
As participants gather in Colombia for the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16), the focus turns to implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). This COP marks the first meeting since the 2022 agreement, in which 196 countries pledged to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and achieve harmony with nature by 2050. At COP16, emphasizing the private sector's role underscores heightened expectations from investors and regulators while creating significant opportunities for early actors.

“Within the business community, there is growing momentum and awareness of the financial risks associated with a worsening biodiversity crisis. At the same time, there is also an understanding that integrating nature in business models can help reduce those risks and access new revenue opportunities, such as those offered by nature-based solutions.” - Dario Piselli, Senior Manager, Biodiversity and Pollution, Sustainability Advisory at KPMG Sweden and one of the report’s authors.

R-evolution’s green cubes digital reality
The KPMG Sweden report highlights R-evolution's Green Cubes Digital Reality, a groundbreaking approach to measuring and visualizing forest ecosystems. This technology serves as a blueprint for accelerating conservation and fostering sustainable practices. Each Green Cube functions like a biodiversity storage box that measures environmental data at a cubic meter level. These digital twin models can monitor tree canopy health, study root systems with underground radar, and measure sound levels to track biodiversity effectively.

Green cube digital reality in action
In Costa Rica, R-evolution is partnering with scientists at La Gamba Tropenstation, an Austrian research station in association with the University of Vienna, to develop digital replicas of rainforests using Hexagon’s Digital Twin technology. This partnership focuses on quantifying the impacts of conservation and reforestation initiatives. The Green Cubes initiative in Costa Rica has mapped 100 km² of rainforest with remarkable precision, enabling detailed monitoring and analysis. Employing Hexagon’s innovative airborne hybrid LiDAR/image sensors and handheld imaging laser scanners, coupled with the Hexagon digital reality platform (HxDR), scientists can model and monitor the rainforest in exceptional detail, boasting accuracies down to three centimeters.

“By combining our subject matter knowledge and reporting expertise with the powerful technical capabilities offered by Green Cubes Digital Reality, we can ensure that digital twins help businesses reap the benefits of the emerging transition to a nature-positive economy.” - Andreas Halvarsson, Partner and Head of Risk Consulting at KPMG Sweden.

Pioneering action for a sustainable future
The Make Nature Visible report follows two related publications from KPMG International, announced during COP16. The first report, informed by the results of two business roundtables hosted by KPMG, discusses how business actions can contribute to the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The second report, published in collaboration with Nature4Climate and other partners, reviews the broader landscape of nature-tech solutions available for companies.

Through the concerted efforts of organizations like R-evolution and KPMG, integrating innovative technologies such as digital twins is paving the way for improved biodiversity management and a sustainable future for businesses worldwide.

As the world faces a biodiversity crisis, embracing digital twin technology offers a path to enhance corporate transparency, as well as a means to foster a more sustainable interaction with nature. The insights generated from these technologies can aid companies in managing their ecological footprints while navigating the complex landscape of modern sustainability reporting.