How STAR works
The STAR metric assesses the potential of particular actions at specific locations to contribute to global sustainability targets, supporting science-based targets for species biodiversity.
Conservation Tool
Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric
The Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric measures the contribution that investments can make to reducing species’ extinction risk. It helps governments, cities, civil society, the finance industry, investors and companies to target their investments and activities to achieve conservation outcomes and contribute to global policy aims.
5,362
Description
threatened and Near Threatened species’ data incorporated  into STAR
24%
Description
of global extinction risk reduction could be achieved by increasing sustainability in crop productionÂ
56%
Description
of global extinction risk reduction could be achieved by restoring habitats
STAR measures the potential contribution of two kinds of action to reduce species extinction risk:
- threat abatement
- habitat restorationÂ
This makes it possible to identify actions that will yield benefits for threatened species, and enables actors to add up their total contributions to preventing biodiversity loss.
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The method for calculating STAR is in the public domain. Any actor can apply the STAR metric to any location, using data on the distribution, threats and extinction risk of threatened species.
The post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework seeks to identify specific actions that will improve the overall state of biodiversity. STAR provides a way to measure how reducing threats in a particular place can decrease overall extinction risk, linking proposed actions to achieving the Convention's vision of living in harmony with nature.
Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Scientific underpinning and approach
The scientific basis for STAR was established in ‘’, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. The metric bases its scores on data from the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ Red List of Threatened Species. Further research is underway to extend the application of STAR to aquatic environments, to account for threats embodied in international trade and to harness National Red List data for nationally threatened species.
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Uses for STAR
Governments, businesses, civil society, or any other actor can use STAR to quantify the potential impact of their actions on reducing species extinction risk. National governments can use it to set baselines for measuring progress towards global biodiversity targets, and conservation agencies can use it to identify gaps and target conservation efforts. The private and financial sectors can use STAR to document and disclose biodiversity risk.
Contributing organisations
The Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ Species Survival Commission Post-2020 Taskforce, hosted by the University of Newcastle, led the development of STAR. Collaborators from more than 50 organisations around the world contributed to the Nature Ecology & Evolution .
The STAR metric is available through the (IBAT), a partnership of Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥, BirdLife International, Conservation International, and UNEP-WCMC. The STAR metric is maintained under the authority of the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ Red List Committee.
We acknowledge funding from the , , and the Global Environment Facility, as well as support from the . The Biodiversity Consultancy pioneered the tool’s private sector applications.
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