Skip to the disclosure focus
Courses

London Reporting Academy ESRS E4 · Biodiversity and Ecosystems · Disclosure Requirement E4-4

Applicable from FY2027

This revised ESRS edition applies from reporting year 2027. For reporting years 2024–2026, use the ESRS 2023 edition.

Targets related to biodiversity and ecosystems

E4-4 · mandatory · narrative disclosure

E4-4 reports measurable, time-bound and outcome-oriented targets related to material biodiversity and ecosystems impacts, risks or opportunities using GDR-T.

Start preparing ↓ Official European Commission source ↗

Disclosure focus

Each target remains linked to policy objectives and actions and includes its value or qualitative level, scope, period, methodology and performance. Baselines and milestones are reported where defined or set.

Where biodiversity offsets form part of a target, the disclosure explains their role and relevant conditions. Offset information is not required for targets that do not use offsets.

This LRA educational guidance supports disclosure preparation. For the exact requirements, always refer to the official European Commission source.

Prepare

What to collect before drafting

Tick each field as the evidence lands. Owners are the teams that usually hold the source files.

  • Material impacts, risks and opportunities

    Sustainability reporting

    Identify the material impacts, risks or opportunities to which each target relates.

    Evidence Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting material impacts, risks and opportunities.

    Watch for The published response for material impacts, risks and opportunities is incomplete or does not match the supporting records.

  • Relationship to policies and actions

    Sustainability reporting

    Describe the target's relationship to policy objectives and actions.

    Evidence Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting relationship to policies and actions.

    Watch for The published response for relationship to policies and actions is incomplete or does not match the supporting records.

  • Target value or level

    Sustainability reporting

    State the defined quantitative target value or qualitative target level, whether it is absolute or relative where relevant, and the unit of measurement.

    Evidence Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting target value or level.

    Watch for The published response for target value or level is incomplete or does not match the supporting records.

  • Target scope

    Sustainability reporting

    Describe scope across own operations, upstream and downstream value chain and geographical boundaries.

    Evidence Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting target scope.

    Watch for The published response for target scope is incomplete or does not match the supporting records.

  • Target period and milestones

    Sustainability reporting

    State the target period and any milestones or interim targets that have been set.

    Evidence Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting target period and milestones.

    Watch for The published response for target period and milestones is incomplete or does not match the supporting records.

  • Baseline

    Sustainability reporting

    If the undertaking defined a baseline, state its value or level and base year.

    Evidence Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting baseline.

    Watch for The published response for baseline is incomplete or does not match the supporting records.

  • Methodologies and assumptions

    Sustainability reporting

    Describe methodologies and significant assumptions used to define the target.

    Evidence Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting methodologies and assumptions.

    Watch for The published response for methodologies and assumptions is incomplete or does not match the supporting records.

  • Stakeholder involvement

    Sustainability reporting

    Describe how stakeholders were involved in setting the target where applicable.

    Evidence Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting stakeholder involvement.

    Watch for The published response for stakeholder involvement is incomplete or does not match the supporting records.

  • Performance and revisions

    Sustainability reporting

    Report performance against the target and explain revisions to targets, methodologies or assumptions.

    Evidence Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting performance and revisions.

    Watch for The published response for performance and revisions is incomplete or does not match the supporting records.

  • Offsets in targets

    Environment / Sustainability reporting

    Where a target relies on biodiversity offsets, explain their role, scope and relevant conditions.

    Evidence Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting offsets in targets.

    Watch for The published response for offsets in targets is incomplete or does not match the supporting records.

Before you start

  • Use the complete GDR-T scope and link each target to specific material biodiversity and ecosystems IROs.
  • Baseline, milestones and offset information apply only where defined, set or used.
  • Have the supporting records and the final response been reconciled?
＋ Show E4-4 sub-elements (LRA working checklist)

How to prepare it

Use the complete GDR-T scope and link each target to specific material biodiversity and ecosystems IROs.
Collect and reconcile the records for: Material impacts, risks and opportunities; Relationship to policies and actions; Target value or level; Target scope; Target period and milestones; Baseline; Methodologies and assumptions; Stakeholder involvement; Performance and revisions; Offsets in targets.
Baseline, milestones and offset information apply only where defined, set or used.
Draft the response using the defined terms shown in the disclosure focus; do not substitute broader internal labels.
Review the final wording against every requirement and the supporting governance or data records before sign-off.

Request the data

Request the disclosure evidence

Translate the disclosure into an internal business question — then adapt it to your organisation's own language.

Provide the target register, material-IRO and policy/action links, values or levels, scope, periods, baselines, methodologies, stakeholder involvement, progress and offset evidence where applicable.

Use the organisation's own role and document names, but preserve the defined ESRS terms and the scope described above.

Better request

Provide the target register, material-IRO and policy/action links, values or levels, scope, periods, baselines, methodologies, stakeholder involvement, progress and offset evidence where applicable.

Draft your disclosure

Notes that turn data into a disclosure

LRA training templates — adapt them to your organisation, and check the official source before sign-off.

Method note

Distinguish direct GDR-T requirements, biodiversity-specific explanations and optional preparation controls.

Context note

If no measurable target exists, disclose the applicable absence and tracking information required by ESRS 2.

Download Centre

Preparation tools & forms

Download preparation tools for E4-4 with free verified email access for 24 hours. Source-report links remain public.

Free · Email access
01XLSPrep & Assurance workbookDatapoints, risks, evidence to check, owner and evidence pack.Get it free ↧ 02XLSData-request packRequest email, message template, response fields and sign-off structure.Get it free ↧ 03PDFLibrary CardPrintable one-page summary of this disclosure card.Get it free ↧

Check

For each claim, check the evidence

  • Material impacts, risks and opportunities is reported accurately and completely.

    Risk The response omits, misclassifies or overstates material impacts, risks and opportunities.

    Evidence to check Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting material impacts, risks and opportunities.

  • Relationship to policies and actions is reported accurately and completely.

    Risk The response omits, misclassifies or overstates relationship to policies and actions.

    Evidence to check Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting relationship to policies and actions.

  • Target value or level is reported accurately and completely.

    Risk The response omits, misclassifies or overstates target value or level.

    Evidence to check Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting target value or level.

  • Target scope is reported accurately and completely.

    Risk The response omits, misclassifies or overstates target scope.

    Evidence to check Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting target scope.

  • Target period and milestones is reported accurately and completely.

    Risk The response omits, misclassifies or overstates target period and milestones.

    Evidence to check Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting target period and milestones.

  • Baseline is reported accurately and completely.

    Risk The response omits, misclassifies or overstates baseline.

    Evidence to check Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting baseline.

  • Methodologies and assumptions is reported accurately and completely.

    Risk The response omits, misclassifies or overstates methodologies and assumptions.

    Evidence to check Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting methodologies and assumptions.

  • Stakeholder involvement is reported accurately and completely.

    Risk The response omits, misclassifies or overstates stakeholder involvement.

    Evidence to check Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting stakeholder involvement.

  • Performance and revisions is reported accurately and completely.

    Risk The response omits, misclassifies or overstates performance and revisions.

    Evidence to check Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting performance and revisions.

  • Offsets in targets is reported accurately and completely.

    Risk The response omits, misclassifies or overstates offsets in targets.

    Evidence to check Dated source records, governance papers and approval evidence supporting offsets in targets.

Evidence pack to prepare

Common reporting gaps

  • Using only Targets as the title.
  • Presenting six fields as the full checklist.
  • Omitting material-IRO and policy/action links.
  • Treating baseline as unconditional.
  • Requiring offset fields for targets without offsets.
✓ Knowledge Hub AI Assistant · Human-in-the-loop
Dr Ross Kurinko

Ask the Knowledge Hub AI Assistant about this disclosure

Get practical answers for your reporting context.

Try How do I prepare E4-4? What data do I need to collect? What mistakes should I avoid?

Framework references

Relevant ESRS requirements and related disclosures

ESRS

E4-4

within ESRS E4: Biodiversity and Ecosystems

Open official source →

Guides that settle this question

ESRS E4 Biodiversity and Ecosystems: Sites, Value Chains, Metrics and Transition Plans →

Related & explore

Biodiversity Transition Plan → CardPolicies → CardActions & Resources → CardMetrics (Biodiversity change) → CardBrowse all disclosures →

More in ESRS E4 →Browse full catalogue →Search all disclosures →

How this library is built 1,211 published reports indexed 315,012 pages with page-level citations 272 published cards in the active catalogue
/en/knowledge-hub/disclosure-cards/esrs-e4-4/