questionnaire asks about impact on biodiversity, what does that mean for my company

Location-based question, no general statement

For "impact on biodiversity" the customer usually does not ask for a separate biodiversity statement, but for a concrete fact: are facilities located in or next to a protected nature area, and what measures have been taken. VSME (basic module) treats biodiversity as a location indicator, not as a separate reporting obligation — so the answer consists of a list of locations plus a yes/no per location, no narrative text about "impact". If you have no facility within or next to a Natura 2000 area or comparable protected area, the answer is simple: no, not applicable, and that is a complete answer.

If you do have such a facility, proof is usually requested: a permit, an ecological assessment, or documentation of mitigating measures. This overlaps with the company has the required environmental permits — often the same permit is the supporting document for both questions. If you do not have the underlying assessment in the file, do not answer based on an estimate; set the answer to "no, not demonstrable" until the document is available, and complete it later.

Where this appears: VSME location indicator

The VSME basic module of EFRAG asks biodiversity as a facility characteristic (location relative to protected areas), not as a scope classification as with emissions. This distinction is relevant because customers who send both VSME-like and CSRD-like lists sometimes combine biodiversity with the emissions questions — whereas it is actually a different type of question than indirect emissions from purchased energy the scope 3 question. The GHG Protocol covers greenhouse gas accounting and does not directly address biodiversity; that source is therefore not the basis for the answer here, but it is for the separate emissions questions that often appear in the same list.