Netherlands: Utrecht University becomes the first Dutch institution to measure its biodiversity footprint

Utrecht University in the Netherlands has had its biodiversity footprint mapped by PRé Sustainability (an environmental consultant) to allow « the university to investigate the impact of its activities on nature and biodiversity, both near and far, and help make informed choices for a future in which biodiversity is actively protected and restored, » the Dutch institution said on 16/10/2025.

The university is the first to do so in the Netherlands, and explains : « The biodiversity footprint shows how much an organisation’s work impacts biodiversity, through the use of raw materials, waste generation and emissions. »

Utrecht University highlights the difference between carbon footprint (CO₂ emissions and how they contribute to global warming) and biodiversity footprint, which considers other factors that are harmful to nature (land and water use, soil acidification or depletion, toxic substances released into the environment, and fertilisers polluting rivers and lakes).

« By measuring our biodiversity footprint, we know where we can make the most difference. This research helps us make…