Sector-level biodiversity exposure screening for Kenya using the ENCORE framework

Biodiversity loss is increasingly recognised as a potential source of economic vulnerability, particularly in countries whose productive sectors are closely tied to natural capital. Kenya is highly dependent on ecosystem services while simultaneously experiencing accelerating ecological degradation, yet systematic, sector-level screening of biodiversity-related exposure remains limited. This study applies the ENCORE 2023 dependency and impact datasets to examine relative biodiversity-related exposure across twelve major Kenyan industries. ENCORE production processes are mapped to national economic sectors, and sector-level indicators of ecosystem-service dependency, biodiversity impact, composite exposure, and dependency–impact gaps are constructed using consistent aggregation across mapped processes. The results reveal substantial heterogeneity in relative exposure profiles across sectors. Forestry, agriculture, transport and storage, and mining exhibit comparatively higher biodiversity-related exposure, reflecting either strong reliance on ecosystem services or higher relative ecological impacts. Radar and gap analyses are used to explore contrasting exposure profiles, distinguishing between dependency-dominated and impact-dominated patterns at a conceptual level. The findings are intended to be interpreted as a first-stage, economy-wide screening of relative biodiversity-related exposure rather than as a calibrated assessment of financial or regulatory risk. Beyond its Kenya-specific application, the study demonstrates how globally constructed biodiversity materiality data can be operationalised within a sovereign-level, sector-comparable framework, providing a structured basis for scoping and prioritisation in biodiversity-dependent economies and for subsequent, more granular analysis in policy and sustainable finance contexts, including TNFD-related materiality assessments.