Ecosystem
Condition Index
The Ecosystem Condition Index (ECI) is NatureMetrics' proprietary, independently accredited measure of ecological condition. Currently available for soil and freshwater. Vegetation ECI coming Autumn 2026.
Water
Soil
Vegetation
Get to know our 3 ECIs
Soil ECI
The only globally applicable soil ecosystem condition index, independently accredited to 95% accuracy by Accounting for Nature®. Measures bacteria, fungi and soil invertebrates against a reference site.
Available now - Global
Freshwater ECI
A single, defensible 0–100 biological condition score for rivers, benchmarked against NatureMetrics' extensive UK freshwater eDNA database and trained against Water Framework Directive classifications.
Available now - Great Britain
Vegetation ECI
Ecosystem condition scoring for terrestrial vegetation and mangrove ecosystems — powered by remote sensing data. No field sampling required. Global applicability from launch.
Coming soon
How it works
From field sample to Portfolio Intelligence
Our soil and freshwater ECIs both follow the same five-step architecture.
1
Sample
Collect biological data using NatureMetrics eDNA kits - simply collect soil cores or bankside water.
2
eDNA Analysis
DNA is extracted in the NatureMetrics labs and matched against curated reference databases
3
Score Condition
Biological data scored 0-100 against the appropriate benchmark for that ecosystem
4
Aggregate to
Portfolio
Site scores roll up to a single portfolio ECI - one number for every site and portfolio
5
Report
Aggregated scores and metrics feed natural capital accounts and regulatory disclosures
What you get with the
Ecosystem Condition Suite
Site-level diagnostics
Know exactly which biological community is driving your score, and why. Whether it's fungi lagging in soil, macroinvertebrate diversity declining in a river, or vegetation structure deteriorating on a restoration site.
Portfolio intelligence
See nature performance and risk across all assets in one view. Track whether you're Net Positive or Net Loss. Identify which sites need resources and which are performing.
Financial integration
Feed ECI data into Natural Capital Accounts, rehabilitation provisions, ESG disclosures and risk assessments. Connect ecosystem health to the financial metrics your organisation already runs on.
Defensible, best-in-class science.
Auditable. Enterprise-grade.
Every index in the suite is designed to hold up to the same scrutiny a financial metric would face. Standardised, repeatable methodology. Every score traceable from portfolio metric back to raw eDNA data. Built for the rigour that investors, regulators and auditors demand.
Audit ready
Defensible for Natural Capital Accounts and financial disclosure
Comparable year-on-year
Track progress against nature-positive targets over time
Portfolio-ready
Site scores aggregate to a single portfolio-level index
Stakeholder trust
Data refreshed to align with financial reporting cycles. Scores reflect the most current available geospatial data, not a point-in-time snapshot
How every ECI works
Built for your sector and use case
The Ecosystem Condition Index works across every sector where nature
represents either an operational dependency, a regulatory obligation or a
material financial risk.
Mining & Extractives
The challenge
TNFD reporting and social licence around water use. Regulatory risk from abstraction and contamination licences. Need to demonstrate No Net Loss from extraction to closure — across soil ecosystems adjacent to operations and river systems downstream.
How the suite helps
- Pre-disturbance biological baseline for soil and river health - evidence for consenting and NNL commitments
- Annual ECI tracking qualities impact during active operations, validates rehabilitation trajectory
- Soil Quality Hectares delta between operational loss and offset gain provides defensible compensation evidence
- Portfolio Freshwater ECI monitors river condition adjacent to abstraction points and discharge sites.
Soil ECI
Globally applicable
Baseline and track soil condition at mine sites worldwide — from pre-disturbance through active operations to rehabilitation and closure. Prove recovery with an independently accredited metric.
Freshwater ECI
Great Britain rivers
Monitor biological condition of river systems adjacent to extraction sites. WFD-aligned scoring for TNFD reporting and regulatory licence evidence — deployable by operational teams without specialist ecologists.
Agriculture & CPG
The challenge
Investors want proof that regenerative agriculture programmes are delivering returns on resilience - not just carbon credits. SBTN freshwater targets and CSRD supply chain obligations require measurable biological evidence. Carbon metrics are too slow to capture the immediate impact of farming interventions.
How the suite helps
- Annual Soil ECI tracking proves regenerative plots are improving biological condition faster than carbon can show
- Compare performance across farms and geographies with a standardised score - identify what's working and replicate it
- Map supply chain ecosystem risk across soils and river systems in your supply shed
- Support sustainability-linked loans and green finance with auditable biological MRV
Soil ECI
Regenerative ag outcomes — globally
Prove soil health improvement at scale on a timeframe investors can act on. Annual site-level tracking shows improvement rates that carbon metrics cannot capture at this speed.
Freshwater ECI
Supply shed river health - GB
Baseline and track biological condition of rivers in your supply shed. SBTN freshwater target-setting and CSRD nature disclosure evidence for food and beverage supply chains.
Infrastructure & Transport
The challenge
Consenting and permitting near watercourses and ecologically sensitive land. Demonstrating mitigation hierarchy compliance at every stage - from design through construction to restoration. Regulatory requirements for defensible biological evidence of genuine ecological uplift.
How the suite helps
- Pre-construction soil and river biological baselines - defensible evidence for consenting and ElA
- Ongoing condition monitoring proves genuine ecological uplift, not just vegetation cover
- Offset validation and tracking across the full project lifecycle
- Faster regulatory approvals and performance bond release with accredited, traceable evidence
Soil ECI
Consenting evidence - globally
The only globally applicable, independently accredited soil condition metric. Defensible for NNL claims, EIA ecological compensation evidence and regulatory approval submissions.
Freshwater ECI
Watercourse monitoring - GB
Biological baseline and ongoing monitoring for schemes near rivers. AMP8 and WFD-aligned scoring that demonstrates genuine ecological recovery to planning authorities and regulators.
Conservation
The challenge
Different monitoring approaches across sites make it impossible to compare performance and allocate budgets fairly. Funders demand proof that restoration investments are delivering measurable biodiversity outcomes - not just tree counts or vegetation cover reports.
How the suite helps
- Standardised ECI scores across all sites reveal true performance range - identify underperforming sites and reallocate budget with confidence
- Annual tracking validates restoration trajectory, proving biological recovery not just visual greening
- Soil Quality Hectares and Quality-Km provide condition-adjusted metrics for nature market access
- Portfolio ECI gives trustees, donors and funders a single comparable figure for conservation impact
Soil ECI
Restoration evidence - globally
Replace disconnected monitoring with one replicable standard. Reveals performance ranges across your estate, enabling budget reallocation and unlocking biodiversity funding narratives.
Freshwater ECI
Riparian restoration - GB
Evidence biological recovery in river restoration projects. WFD-aligned scores that communicateprogress to regulators, funders and the public.
Consultancies
The challenge
Clients are demanding more rigorous, defensible biodiversity data than satellite outputs or desk-based tools can provide. TNFD, CSRD and SBTN require biological depth that traditional approaches cannot deliver at portfolio scale.
How the suite helps
- Offer Accounting for Nature® - accredited soil metrics without in-house lab investment
- Deliver WFD-aligned river biological assessments faster and at lower cost than conventional surveys
- Technical credibility in TNFD and CSRD proposals - every score traceable to raw data, no black box
- White-label or co-brand the suite across your service lines
Soil ECI
Differentiate your offer - globally
Offer clients the only globally applicable, AFN-accredited soil condition metric. Technical excellence that competitors without accredited methodology cannot match.
Freshwater ECI
WFD-aligned river data - GB
High-integrity freshwater biological assessments for EIA, TNFD and natural capital accounts - faster and at lower cost than conventional biomonitoring surveys.
Works with your
existing frameworks
Our Ecosystem Condition Indices integrate seamlessly with
leading disclosure frameworks and regulatory requirements
TNFD
Taskforce on Nature-related
Financial Disclosures
Natural Capital Accounting
Natural Capital Accounting frameworks
CSRD
Corporate Sustainability
Reporting Directive
EU Soil
Monitoring Law
Directive (EU) 2025/2360 on soil monitoring and resilience
GRI
Global Reporting Initiative
Standards
ISO 14008
Monetary Valuation of
Environmental Impacts
SBTN
Science Based Targets
for Nature
IFRS S2
Climate-related Disclosures
The gold standard in ecosystem condition and resilience measurement
NatureMetrics Soil Ecosystem Condition Index is currently the only globally applicable metric for assessing soil microbial
condition. The soil microbe methodology has been independently accredited by Accounting for Nature (AfN-METHOD-M-01) with an accuracy level of 95%, enabling its use in Certified Environmental Accounts under the Accounting for Nature® Framework to support credible claims on soil microbial condition.
Accreditation was awarded following an independent review by Accounting for Nature's Independent Science Committee, confirming that the Method meets the required high standards of scientific rigour. Accounting for Nature is a globally recognised standard that supports credible, transparent, and science-based environmental condition accounting, providing a robust foundation for clear and defensible claims.