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GRI 101: Biodiversity · 2024
Disclosure GRI 101-5

Locations with biodiversity impacts

Practical guidance for preparing this disclosure. Use this card to identify the information to prepare, verify claims and organise supporting evidence. For exact requirements, always refer to the official Global Reporting Initiative source.

GRI 101: Biodiversity 2024 is effective for reports or other materials published on or after 1 January 2026 and replaces GRI 304: Biodiversity 2016.
Dr Ross Kurinko
Reviewed by Dr Ross Kurinko LinkedIn Strategic ESG Advisor · IFRS S1 & S2 / GRI / ESRS expert GRI Certified Global Trainer · PhD, University of Cambridge · ESG-AI expert 15+ years on FTSE 100 & Fortune Global 500 disclosures Canary Wharf, London LRA educational guidance · Not issued or endorsed by Global Reporting Initiative
To prepare this disclosure
Disclosure focus

Disclosure 101-5 requires an organization to report location-based information for the sites and supply-chain products and services identified under Disclosure 101-4 as having the most significant impacts on biodiversity. The organization should use the same approved list and should not conduct a separate prioritization exercise for Disclosure 101-5.

For each relevant site, the organization must report its location, size in hectares and the activities carried out there. It must also report whether the site is in or near an ecologically sensitive area. A site is “in” such an area when it is completely or partially located within it. A site is “near” such an area when the area falls within the site’s area of influence or within a documented screening radius set by the organization. Where a radius is used, the organization should explain the approach and report the radius.

The distance to an ecologically sensitive area is required only when the site is near, rather than within, that area. The organization must classify the relevant area under one or more of the following categories: an area of biodiversity importance; an area of high ecosystem integrity; an area of rapid decline in ecosystem integrity; an area of high physical water risk; or an area important for the delivery of ecosystem service benefits to Indigenous Peoples, local communities and other stakeholders.

Where possible, the organization should report site names, coordinates, polygon outlines or maps. For transport activities, it can report departure and arrival locations and transport routes where precise site coordinates are not available. For fishing activities, it can report FAO major fishing areas and subareas.

For each product and service in the supply chain with the most significant impacts on biodiversity, the organization must report the countries or jurisdictions where the associated activities take place. Where possible, it should also report the location within the country or jurisdiction, the level of traceability, and the volume sourced or amount spent. Information on downstream entities can be reported additionally where available.

The organization should also consider reporting the size in hectares of ecologically sensitive areas within its sites, the percentage of sites in or near ecologically sensitive areas, and information on high-impact commodities. These are Guidance items and should not be presented as additional mandatory requirements.

Where required information cannot be reported because of legal prohibitions, confidentiality constraints or unavailable or incomplete information, the organization must apply the relevant reason for omission in accordance with GRI 1 rather than silently aggregating or excluding the information.

This LRA educational guidance supports disclosure preparation. For the exact requirements, always refer to the official Global Reporting Initiative source.

Before you start

A quick mental checklist before you prepare this disclosure — tick each as you settle it.

Preparation

Key information to prepare

Preparation field What to capture Evidence hint Owner
Site location For each site reported under GRI 101-4, report its location. Approved site list, address or coordinates, GIS layer and site record. Operations / Sustainability reporting
Site size Report the size of each site in hectares. Cadastral record, lease plan, GIS polygon and hectare calculation. Operations / Sustainability reporting
Site activities Describe the activities carried out at each site. Operating permits, process map, site profile and activity register. Operations / Sustainability reporting
In or near an ecologically sensitive area State whether each site is in, near or neither in nor near an ecologically sensitive area. Spatial screening, site polygon, sensitive-area datasets and reviewed classification. Sustainability reporting / Biodiversity
Distance where the site is near Where a site is near rather than within an ecologically sensitive area, report the distance. GIS distance calculation, screening radius and methodology. Sustainability reporting / Biodiversity
Ecologically sensitive area categories Classify the relevant area under every applicable official category. Protected-area, biodiversity, ecosystem-integrity, water-risk and ecosystem-service datasets. Sustainability reporting / Biodiversity
Screening radius Where a screening radius is used to determine whether a site is near, report and explain the radius. Approved proximity methodology, radius rationale and GIS settings. Sustainability reporting / Biodiversity
Supply-chain countries or jurisdictions For each product and service with the most significant impacts, report the countries or jurisdictions where associated activities take place. Supplier, product and service map, origin records and jurisdiction reconciliation. Procurement / Supply Chain / Sustainability reporting
Supply-chain location and traceability Where possible, report location within the country or jurisdiction and the level of traceability. Traceability system, supplier declarations, chain-of-custody records and location evidence. Procurement / Supply Chain / Sustainability reporting
Supply-chain volume or spend Where possible, report the volume sourced or amount spent for each relevant product and service. Purchase ledger, volume records, spend analysis and product mapping. Procurement / Supply Chain / Sustainability reporting
+ Show GRI 101-5 sub-elements (LRA working checklist)

How to prepare it

1Use the approved sites, products and services identified under GRI 101-4; do not conduct a separate prioritisation exercise for GRI 101-5.
2Collect and reconcile the records for: Site location; Site size; Site activities; In or near an ecologically sensitive area; Distance where the site is near; Ecologically sensitive area categories; Screening radius; Supply-chain countries or jurisdictions; Supply-chain location and traceability; Supply-chain volume or spend.
3Distance is required only for sites that are near, rather than within, an ecologically sensitive area. One area can meet several official categories.
4Draft the response using the defined terms shown in the disclosure focus; do not substitute broader internal labels.
5Review 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 approved GRI 101-4 list, site locations, polygons, hectares and activities, ecologically sensitive area datasets and classifications, distance and radius calculations, and supply-chain country, location, traceability, volume and spend data.

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

Better request

Provide the approved GRI 101-4 list, site locations, polygons, hectares and activities, ecologically sensitive area datasets and classifications, distance and radius calculations, and supply-chain country, location, traceability, volume and spend data.

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

Treat a site as in an ecologically sensitive area when it is wholly or partly within it, and as near when the area falls within the site's area of influence or a documented screening radius.

Context note

Site names, coordinates, maps, sensitive-area hectares and site percentages are Guidance items. For transport and fishing, use the location conventions described in the official Guidance.

Download Centre

Preparation tools & forms

Professional preparation tools for GRI 101-5 — free with an LRA Community membership. Register once (it's free) and every download unlocks, together with the Disclosure Library, templates and the LRA AI Assistant.

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Learn to prepare this disclosure end-to-end

This guide covers one disclosure. The GRI Standards Certified Training — taken as a bundle with an ESRS course — walks the full workflow: datapoints, evidence, drafting and assurance, with exercises on your own data.

Available as Guided Flex, Live Cohort, 1:1 Expert Mentorship or Corporate Programme.

Assurance readiness

For each claim, check the evidence

ClaimRiskEvidence to check
Site location is reported accurately and completely.The response omits, misclassifies or overstates site location.Approved site list, address or coordinates, GIS layer and site record.
Site size is reported accurately and completely.The response omits, misclassifies or overstates site size.Cadastral record, lease plan, GIS polygon and hectare calculation.
Site activities is reported accurately and completely.The response omits, misclassifies or overstates site activities.Operating permits, process map, site profile and activity register.
In or near an ecologically sensitive area is reported accurately and completely.The response omits, misclassifies or overstates in or near an ecologically sensitive area.Spatial screening, site polygon, sensitive-area datasets and reviewed classification.
Distance where the site is near is reported accurately and completely.The response omits, misclassifies or overstates distance where the site is near.GIS distance calculation, screening radius and methodology.
Ecologically sensitive area categories is reported accurately and completely.The response omits, misclassifies or overstates ecologically sensitive area categories.Protected-area, biodiversity, ecosystem-integrity, water-risk and ecosystem-service datasets.
Screening radius is reported accurately and completely.The response omits, misclassifies or overstates screening radius.Approved proximity methodology, radius rationale and GIS settings.
Supply-chain countries or jurisdictions is reported accurately and completely.The response omits, misclassifies or overstates supply-chain countries or jurisdictions.Supplier, product and service map, origin records and jurisdiction reconciliation.
Supply-chain location and traceability is reported accurately and completely.The response omits, misclassifies or overstates supply-chain location and traceability.Traceability system, supplier declarations, chain-of-custody records and location evidence.
Supply-chain volume or spend is reported accurately and completely.The response omits, misclassifies or overstates supply-chain volume or spend.Purchase ledger, volume records, spend analysis and product mapping.

Evidence pack to prepare

Common reporting gaps

Creating a new shortlist instead of using the GRI 101-4 output.Using key biodiversity site as a generic label.Reporting distance for sites within an area or omitting it for sites near an area.Forcing a sensitive area into only one category.Omitting supply-chain countries or jurisdictions.Silently aggregating or excluding unavailable site information instead of applying GRI 1.
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Framework references

Relevant GRI requirements and related disclosures

Available framework references and nearby disclosures relevant to preparing this requirement.

GRI
GRI 101-5
within GRI 101: Biodiversity
Open official source →
Primary
Related & explore
Go deeper · GRI 101-5
Learn to prepare this disclosure end-to-end

This guide covers one disclosure. The GRI Standards Certified Training — taken as a bundle with an ESRS course — walks the full workflow: datapoints, evidence, drafting and assurance, with exercises on your own data.

Available as Guided Flex, Live Cohort, 1:1 Expert Mentorship or Corporate Programme.

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