Overview
UN Biodiversity Lab (UNBL) is a UN-supported digital platform established in the late 2010s to strengthen evidence-based decision-making on biodiversity and nature. Its purpose is to improve access to spatial data and analytics that connect biodiversity with development, climate, and economic priorities. UNBL operates as a public-good initiative within the multilateral system.The platform is designed to support governments and stakeholders in translating complex biodiversity data into actionable insights for policy, planning, and investment decisions.
Mission and focus areas
UNBL’s mission is to integrate biodiversity, ecosystem, and socio-economic data to inform sustainable development and nature-positive outcomes. It focuses on land use, protected areas, ecosystem services, climate–nature linkages, and national biodiversity priorities. These focus areas align with global frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Sustainable Development Goals.For sustainable finance and ESG practitioners, UNBL contributes by improving transparency around nature-related risks, dependencies, and impacts. Its spatial datasets can support nature risk screening, policy alignment, and integration of biodiversity considerations into public finance, development planning, and investment analysis.
Structure and governance
UN Biodiversity Lab is hosted within the UN system and delivered through partnerships between UN entities and technical organisations. It is supported by UN agencies, donor governments, and development partners rather than commercial funding. Governance is programme-based, with defined leadership, delivery teams, and collaborating institutions.Operations rely on collaboration with national governments, data providers, and international research bodies, reflecting a multilateral and partnership-driven model.
Programs and offerings
UNBL provides an online platform offering interactive maps, dashboards, and curated global and national datasets. These tools allow users to visualise biodiversity alongside development, climate, and economic data at multiple scales. Country-specific platforms support national planning and reporting processes.Additional outputs include guidance materials, case studies, and analytical resources that demonstrate how biodiversity data can be applied in policy and decision-making contexts. The platform’s value lies in making complex spatial biodiversity data accessible, comparable, and relevant for sustainability and finance professionals.
The UN Biodiversity Lab (UNBL) supports country-led efforts to use spatial data and analytic tools to generate insight and impact for conservation and sustainable development. Our mission is three-fold: (1) to democratize access to spatial data and analytic tools as a digital public good; (2) to support decision-makers to leverage spatial data for insight, priority-setting, and implementation at the national level; and (3) to empower stakeholders to use spatial data for nationally-led monitoring and reporting.
