NARIA
(Natural Asset Recovery Investment Analytics)
The measurement framework behind every Nature Credit.
NARIA is our ecological measurement framework. It quantifies ecosystem recovery using standardised, auditable metrics – translating the complexity of nature into evidence businesses, investors, and regulators can trust.
Why measuring nature is hard
Unlike carbon, nature cannot be captured by a single number. It is localised, dynamic, and multifaceted – and most organisations face four fundamental hurdles when trying to account for it:
Meaningful ecological improvement requires understanding interactions between organisms, processes, and the physical environment across time and space.
There is no universal metric for ecosystem health, making comparability across projects near-impossible.
Most restoration claims lack independently verified, quantifiable data – creating greenwashing risk.
Even where ecological data exists, translating it into the financial metrics required by TNFD and CSRD remains a major obstacle.
"What gets measured gets managed." – Without a standardised, credible measurement framework, corporate nature commitments remain aspirational rather than actionable.
Introducing NARIA
NARIA treats land as a natural asset – a class of real asset that management can improve or degrade. It quantifies this through three interlocking components:
A 0–100 score measuring ecosystem integrity through four ecosystem characteristics. The foundational metric for Nature Credit issuance.
An A–G rating (similar to an energy performance certificate) assessing how current and planned land management activities will change ecosystem condition over time. Enables scenario modelling and forecasts the yield of Nature Credits against restoration cost.
Metrics quantifying the direct benefits a healthy ecosystem provides – carbon sequestration, flood alleviation, pollination, extinction risk reduction – selected based on service, location, and relevant reporting requirements.
Inside the Ecosystem Condition Index
Ecosystem Condition Index v1.0 (UK & EU)
The ECI is the heart of NARIA. It measures four ecosystem characteristics that, together, determine an ecosystem's ability to maintain itself, resist degradation, and recover. Each is assessed through a specific metric scored 0–100, with the composite ECI calculated as the geometric mean of all four.
Note: This version of the ECI is accredited for use across UK and EU ecoregions. As NARIA expands into new biomes globally, the suite of characteristics and metrics will adapt to reflect the ecosystems being measured – each biome has its own ECI version.
These four metrics combine into the Ecosystem Condition Index (ECI) – a single, auditable score on a 0–100 scale.
Credibility & Accreditation
Independently verified. Scientifically rigorous. Built for finance.
Accounting for Nature® Accredited
The ECI is accredited under the world-leading independent standard for natural capital accounting, peer-reviewed by ~200 experts and TNFD-recognised.
UN SEEA-EA Aligned
Consistent with the international standard for ecosystem accounting, formally adopted by the UN in 2021.
Government-Backed
Contracted by the Scottish Government to deliver the Ecosystem Restoration Code, a national nature market launching 2027.
Disclosure & Reporting Alignment
One framework. Multiple reporting requirements met.
NARIA outputs are designed to map directly to the major nature reporting frameworks, giving corporates and investors auditable evidence for disclosure.
EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive – Biodiversity & Ecosystems. NARIA data provides the auditable evidence ESRS E4 requires for biodiversity disclosure.
| ESRS E4 requirement | NARIA output |
|---|---|
| Material impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems | ECI baseline + forecast (condition change over time) |
| Targets and progress tracking | Nature Credits issued against verified uplift |
| Metrics for ecosystem condition | 0–100 ECI score, composite of four characteristics |
NARIA maps directly to the TNFD LEAP assessment process (Locate, Evaluate, Assess, Prepare).
| LEAP stage | NARIA support |
|---|---|
| Locate | Site-level natural asset identification |
| Evaluate | ECI baseline measurement |
| Assess | EMR scenario modelling of management impact |
| Prepare | Disclosure-ready metrics and forecasts |
Site-level condition monitoring supports measurable progress against science-based nature targets, from baseline through recovery.
Measurable contribution to GBF Goal A – maintaining, enhancing, and restoring ecosystem integrity, connectivity, and resilience.
Nature Credits provide independently verified environmental outcomes that strengthen B Impact Assessment scoring with evidence-backed action.
Want to see NARIA in action?
Explore our restoration projects, or download the NARIA Framework Overview.