Metrics
The 17 environmental pressures (metrics) Nios calculates, their units, and their datasets.
Nios calculates 17 environmental pressures, called metrics, for every activity. Each metric has its own unit, and on the Nature lens Nios converts it into biodiversity impact in PDF·yr, the potentially disappeared fraction of species over a year. PDF·yr is a risk indicator for comparing biodiversity loss across pressures, regions, and purchases. It isn't a count of species lost.
Metrics
The Pressure category column is the grouping on the Nature lens, following IPBES. The Default dataset serves the metric on the default path. When an activity's base sector is an EXIOBASE sector, EXIOBASE also serves the GLORIA metrics except intensive forestry, see Methodology.
| Metric | Unit | Pressure category | Ecosystems | Default dataset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land occupation: Annual crops | m² | Ecosystem Use | Terrestrial | GLORIA |
| Land occupation: Permanent crops | m² | Ecosystem Use | Terrestrial | GLORIA |
| Land occupation: Pastures | m² | Ecosystem Use | Terrestrial | GLORIA |
| Land occupation: Extensive forestry | m² | Ecosystem Use | Terrestrial | GLORIA |
| Land occupation: Intensive forestry | m² | Ecosystem Use | Terrestrial | GLORIA |
| GHG emissions | kg CO₂e | Climate Change | Terrestrial, freshwater | GLORIA |
| Water consumption: Agriculture | m³ H₂Oe | Resource Exploitation | Freshwater | GLORIA |
| Water consumption: Non-agriculture | m³ H₂Oe | Resource Exploitation | Freshwater | GLORIA |
| Terrestrial acidification: NOₓ | kg NOₓ | Pollution | Terrestrial | GLORIA |
| Terrestrial acidification: NH₃ | kg NH₃ | Pollution | Terrestrial | GLORIA |
| Terrestrial acidification: SO₂ | kg SO₂ | Pollution | Terrestrial | GLORIA |
| Photochemical ozone formation: NOₓ | kg NOₓ | Pollution | Terrestrial | GLORIA |
| Marine eutrophication: Agricultural water | kg N | Pollution | Marine | EXIOBASE |
| Marine eutrophication: Waste water | kg N | Pollution | Marine | EXIOBASE |
| Freshwater eutrophication: Agricultural soil | kg P | Pollution | Freshwater | EXIOBASE |
| Freshwater eutrophication: Agricultural water | kg P | Pollution | Freshwater | EXIOBASE |
| Freshwater eutrophication: Waste water | kg P | Pollution | Freshwater | EXIOBASE |
The Climate lens uses one metric, GHG emissions, reported in t CO₂e. Water consumption is measured in m³ H₂Oe, cubic meters of water equivalents.
Definitions
| Term | Definition | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure | The midpoint result of one metric: the environmental pressure a purchase causes, before its effect on biodiversity | The metric's unit, such as kg CO₂e |
| Pressure intensity | Pressure per unit of spend in the base currency | For example kg CO₂e/EUR |
| Nature impact | Biodiversity impact of a pressure, characterized with LC-Impact and summed over ecosystems | PDF·yr |
| Impact intensity | Nature impact per unit of spend in the base currency | For example PDF·yr/EUR |
| Climate impact | GHG emissions, shown as Total emissions on the Climate lens | t CO₂e |