Biodiversity and DECATHLON

The 2019 report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) alerts: "1,000,000 species are threatened by extinction".
We can ask ourselves why and where are the threats to fauna and flora coming from? There are multiple sources, all of which are of human origin. According to this report, in order of importance in terms of impact, we find:

#1 Changes in the land and sea use:
It means the overuse of the ocean's resources and also the artificialisation of the land. Natural habitats eroded by urban sprawl. This phenomenon is leading to soil degradation. With the soil surfaces becoming sealed, it leads to erosion, more flooding — the land no longer capable of absorbing water — and the widespread use of concrete contributing to rising temperatures.
75 % of inland water is now intended for livestock farming and agriculture. There is also the construction of dams. The diversion of these different areas for human needs leaves less and less space for wildlife and diminishes the food chains.   

#2 Direct exploitation of organisms:
These include overfishing, overexploitation of forests or even agricultural production. The first does not allow for the renewal of species and subsequently harms their ecosystems. For the second and third, the decrease of wooded areas intensifies global warming.

#3 Climate change:
Its consequences are growing, and its influence on wildlife is expected to increase in the years to come. Rising temperatures lead to changes in the distribution of species in territories when they are not directly threatened. The resulting natural disasters or high temperatures variations mechanically influence life cycles. For example, fruit trees that bloom in February and then experience frost in May.

#4 Pollution:
Firstly the pollution of air, soil and water: whether it be chemical pollution, fertilizers, plastic… They not only have an impact on the environment but also on their inhabitants. Plastic is not only the cause of 400 dead zones in the oceans but also causes ill-health and even the demise of many living creatures that ingest it.
Then there is light and noise pollution, which also disturbs wildlife and forces them to change their habitat.

#5 Invasive alien species:
These invasive species are introduced by humans voluntarily or involuntarily and lead to the extinction of the local fauna and flora. Consequently, with less varied food resources, we witness a loss of diversity.


These 5 causes are resulting in the decline of nature and threaten Mankind itself. Just as the COP21 enabled to set targets for countries in terms of limiting global warming, biodiversity awaits the same legal framework. The COP15 biodiversity was postponed several times with the public health crisis and is expected to be held in China in 2022 to address this challenge.

It is vital to measure our negative impact, in other words, assess our biodiversity footprint just like you do for a carbon footprint, to prioritise and structure our action.The difference is, it is considered in debt terms. There is the concept of the past, which doesn't exist in the carbon footprint calculation. For example, the act of laying down tarmac on a surface then ceasing this activity does not regenerate biodiversity. When you stop emitting CO2, you effectively cease to do it more or less in the short term because the former is captured by photosynthesis.

For our biodiversity footprint, the measurement indicator selected in 2020 was the MSA.km² (or Mean Species Abundance), which means the average abundance of species per square kilometre. This unit was renamed in 2021 for ease of understanding and relevance. We have decided to focus our attention on the surface area occupation. DECATHLON's offset will be expressed in "artificialised km 2 equivalent", just like "Kg of CO2 equivalent" for the carbon footprint. Still, in the measurement phase, the expressed offset will enable us to precisely determine the priority areas of action.

Moreover, putting a cost to DECATHLON debt towards wildlife will enable us to have a frame of reference to find out if the implemented action plans increase, sustain or reduce it.

DECATHLON now wants to design layouts with a positive biodiversity impact. So before starting the construction of any new building, a site or a car park refurbishment, we carry out a diagnosis based on 74 biodiversity criteria.

The following, in particular, are taken into account:
- ecological continuity,
- water resources,
- plant-based density,
- light pollution,
- the climate,
- quality of life.

At the end of this assessment, the diagnosis lets us determine a rating ranging from 0 to 100. The minimum acceptable standard is 50/100 because we estimate that at this threshold the requirements are met to let wildlife move around, feed and reproduce freely. 

On the first experimental site of Saint-Malo (France), the initial diagnosis before the works was 42/100, 3 years later it is 79/100. These adjustments, therefore, met the conditions allowing wildlife to flourish properly.