Objectives of the service
Satelligence provides a comprehensive Earth Observation-based service to generate TNFD-compliant biodiversity metrics that enables food & beverage companies to assess, monitor, and report on nature-related risks across their supply chains.
Companies look for solutions that ensure:
- Framework convergence: Our solution suite simultaneously serves TNFD, SBTN, CSRD, and EUDR requirements, eliminating the need for companies to manage multiple disparate reporting systems
- Supply chain integration: Direct extension of existing commodity traceability relationships, allowing biodiversity monitoring to leverage established supplier networks rather than building new data collection systems
- Continuous compliance: Real-time satellite monitoring provides ongoing verification versus periodic field assessments, enabling proactive risk management rather than reactive reporting
- Scientific rigor: Implementation of Andrew Skidmore's Essential Biodiversity Variables methodology ensures scientific credibility while maintaining operational scalability
The service provides three tiers:
- Basic biodiversity risk indicators like NDVI, habitat fragmentation, and protected area proximity;
- Advanced impact assessment combining multiple satellite sensors to deliver ecosystem service indicators and carbon stock estimates;
- TNFD reporting solution with regulatory compliance documentation (supplier compliance reports, grievance case tracker and auditable documentation) and visualizations (risk maps and jurisdictional and supplier-based biodiversity indicator risk assessment dashboard) through the Satelligence platform.
Users and their needs
The service targets consumer goods companies and traders active in Food & Beverage supply chains. These are typical large-scale multinationals that have a wide range of sustainability frameworks and requirements to comply with. The service is used by sustainability managers, sustainable procurement managers within those organizations.
Service/ system concept
The service provides three tiers:
- Basic biodiversity risk indicators like NDVI, habitat fragmentation, and protected area proximity;
- Advanced impact assessment combining multiple satellite sensors to deliver ecosystem service indicators and carbon stock estimates;
- TNFD reporting solution with regulatory compliance documentation (supplier compliance reports, grievance case tracker and auditable documentation) and visualizations (risk maps and jurisdictional and supplier-based biodiversity indicator risk assessment dashboard) through the Satelligence platform.
Below a high level diagram of the service architecture is described:
The diagram shows the additional components to be developed during this pilot:
- DPROF: add module to download and process BIOMASS satellite data
- GEODB: add module to calculate and mode (EBV) biodiversity indicators
- Web app layer: add TNFD compliance module
- Web visualisation layer: add biodiversity reporting and spreadsheet exports
With reference to the figure above, the pilot system to be deployed in the proposed activity will consist of the following elements:
- Data processing, storage and analytics in the cloud
- Cloud based web application with UI
- PDF reports & Spreadsheets
Space Added Value
Earth Observation satellites enable scalable, cost-effective biodiversity monitoring across global supply chains through multi-sensor integration.
Primary Space Assets:
- Copernicus Sentinel-2 (Optical): 13 spectral bands (443-2190nm), 10m spatial resolution, 5-day revisit frequency. Generates vegetation indices (NDVI, NBR), land cover classifications, and ecosystem health indicators for TNFD metrics.
- Copernicus Sentinel-1 (SAR): C-band radar (5.405 GHz), 10m resolution, 6-day revisit. Weather-independent monitoring enables canopy height estimation and ecosystem structure assessment in cloud-prone tropical regions.
- ESA BIOMASS Mission: L-band SAR (1.3 GHz), 50m resolution for forest biomass and canopy structure measurement upon operational availability (2025-2026).
Rationale vs. Alternatives: Space-based monitoring provides critical advantages over field surveys:
- Global standardization - uniform 10m coverage across all regions versus variable field methodology;
- Temporal continuity - 5-10 day updates enabling real-time threat detection versus annual field surveys;
- Cost-effectiveness - 70-85% cost reduction while covering 100x larger areas;
- Objective verification - independent, auditable evidence for TNFD compliance versus self-reported data.
- Data Access: Copernicus Sentinel-1/2 accessed freely through ESA's Open Access Hub minimizing costs while ensuring scientific rigor.
Current Status
The project started in January 2026. Pilot users have been interviewed in the first months of the project to confirm the user needs and requirements. Initial groundwork for prototyping solutions has been set up, and additional partnerships have been established to be able to provide a broader service offer.
Initial prototypes are expected to be delivered by CDR (in July 2026) to get initial feedback from the pilot users.
Prime Contractor(s)
