PV Nature pens for third-Party Data Analytic Providers
Plan Vivo is pleased to announce that PV Nature, our Biodiversity Standard, is now open to multiple third-party Data Analytic Providers. Projects in the PV Nature pipeline can now choose from an approved list of Providers to carry out biodiversity quantification in line with the PV Nature Methodology.
In 2023 Plan Vivo launched its Biodiversity Standard, known as PV Nature. PV Nature is a pioneering, high-integrity Standard that provides an alternative mechanism for community-led nature-based projects to access funding.
The Standard encompasses numerous project requirements and a methodology for quantifying and measuring biodiversity change. The first version of the PV Nature Methodology and Data Protocol was developed in close partnership with Pivotal, a leading nature intelligence company. This pioneering and market-leading methodology, prioritises a high integrity approach to monitoring and measurement specifically through the use of accessible auditable data and evidence-based outcomes that can be used by community-based projects.
Pivotal were instrumental in the design and development of the PV Nature Methodology. Pivotal’s expertise and experience in ecosystem data infrastructure – combining on-the-ground, digital biodiversity data inputs with advanced statistical methods, machine learning, and expert ecological review – facilitated the development of a methodology that prioritises inclusive engagement in digital data collection, allowing local communities to take ownership of projects.
As Pivotal continue to expand their leadership in strategic, enterprise-grade nature intelligence, they have recently taken a strategic decision to move away from credits markets and focus on their core strengths.
We’re proud to have played a foundational role in developing the PV Nature Methodology, embedding rigour, transparency, and inclusivity at its heart. As Pivotal moves away from credits markets to sharpen our focus on the relationship between ecosystem condition and supply chain resilience, we wish the Plan Vivo team every success as they continue their important mission of generating the world’s highest-integrity biodiversity certificates that deliver quantified outcomes for nature alongside social and climate benefits.
Building on the progress and key learnings from the Plan Vivo- Pivotal partnership, and in response to a growing demand from projects, Plan Vivo have accelerated plans to open PV Nature to multiple data analytic providers. Mirroring our approach to validation and verification, Plan Vivo will have a core set of requirements that data analytic providers will need meet in order to be successfully approved.
Prospective data analytic providers will be able to access the requirements and respective application form to assess compliance with PV Nature, before applying for Plan Vivo for approval. Approved providers will then be able to deliver their data analysis services to PV Nature projects, adding an independent layer of accountability and transparency — strengthening the PV Nature certification process.
Approved providers will be listed on the Plan Vivo website. PV Nature pipeline projects will able to contact the providers to assess compatibility and choose the best provider for their needs.
Plan Vivo has been in discussions with a number of providers, working to better understand appetite and applicability of the PV Nature Methodology — and to ensure that project requirements and needs align. Based on initial assessments, we are in the process of approving several providers including Okala and Biometrio.earth, among others.
The PV Nature Methodology marks a critical advancement in biodiversity certification—offering a robust multimetric framework, increased transparency through third-party analytics, and practical scalability for global implementation. Biometrio.earth welcomes the opportunity to contribute as a data analytics partner, ensuring scientific integrity and traceable, high-quality biodiversity outcomes across diverse project landscapes.
PV Nature offers an excellent opportunity for conservation project developers to access new sustainable revenue streams that support their valuable work. In a nascent market where there has been plenty of dead ends and slow up-take, the PV Nature Methodology stands out as both rigorous and feasible. Okala is delighted to partner with Plan Vivo to support project developers with their biodiversity data and reporting needs.
Plan Vivo’s aim is to approve the first providers by August of this year. Confirmed, formal approvals of PV Nature data analytics providers will be announced in due course.
To date, there are 11 PV Nature projects in the pipeline. These consist of both conservation and restoration projects, and are distributed globally in a variety of ecosystems and biomes. We are excited by the potential for certified marine and terrestrial projects to access innovative funding mechanisms that generate sustainable finance for areas rich in biodiversity—and the communities that steward them.
PV Nature’s pipeline projects are now past the concept note phase (known as the Project Idea Note or ‘PIN’) and are progressing into the project development stage, which includes setting their biodiversity baseline. This is an important step as the projects become market ready. It is a tangible reference point from which biodiversity uplift or maintenance can be measured. Plan Vivo and its PV Nature pipeline projects will work closely with the approved data analytic providers to establish these baselines.
To further support this work, Plan Vivo and the PV Nature pipeline projects will collaboratively establish a digital equipment hub. This hub will serve as a lending facility for early-stage projects to access the various digital monitoring tools needed for baseline data collection (such as camera traps, acoustic devices, smartphones and cameras). Initially, the aim is to establish these hubs in East or Southern Africa and Indonesia. Within the first year we intend to develop a long-term business model for these lending hubs.
As the biodiversity market continues to take shape, with various regulatory and voluntary frameworks being established, Plan Vivo is actively supporting its pipeline projects to become market-ready. This includes developing a fit-for-purpose registry and marketplace that showcases the diversity of projects and the various use cases that Plan Vivo Biodiversity Certificates are applicable for.
If you have any questions, or would like more information, please email our PV Nature team: biodiversity@planvivofoundation.org
