“Impact drivers are measurable quantities of a natural resource that are used as an input to production and measurable non-product outputs of a business activity that affects nature.” “A measurable quantity of a natural resource that is used as a natural input to production (e.g. the volume of sand and gravel used in construction) or a measurable non-product output of a business activity (e.g. a kilogram of NOx emissions released into the atmosphere by a manufacturing facility).” An impact driver is “a measurable quantity of a natural resource that is used as an input to production (e.g., volume of sand and gravel used in construction) or a measurable non-product output of business activity (e.g., a kilogram of NOx emissions released into the atmosphere by a manufacturing facility).”
Source/reference: TNFD (2023, p. 30). TNFD (2023, p. 121). Natural Capital Coalition (2016, p. 44).
Note: users may wish to extend this definition to include product outputs, as in principle, product outputs can also drive impacts.