Valuing Biodiversity
We are working to restore ecosystems and conserve biodiversity faster and at scale. Our projects include informing the design of high-integrity biodiversity credit markets, analyzing national and global trends in policy and regulation, and developing principles to ensure conservation investments deliver lasting ecological outcomes. We are driven by immediate opportunities to improve biodiversity program efficiency, data transparency, and equitable access, and to maximize available funding for biodiversity efforts that support durable restoration outcomes for both people and planet.
Did You Know?
US habitat and species offsets permanently protect an area larger than Yosemite National Park and Rocky Mountain National Parks combined, and the length of streams restored and protected – if stretched out – would stretch from the west coast of the US to Egypt [source]
Sales of biodiversity credits in the US is $3.77-$8.43 billion annually [sources 1 and 2] through regulatory habitat offsets, representing one of the largest sources of funding for habitat restoration in the US.
Restored wetlands are nearly as successful at supporting biodiversity as comparable intact wetlands. [source]
Protecting and reviving natural systems – such as tropical forests or coastal mangroves – could provide one-third of the answer to the climate crisis. [source]
Why It Matters
Ecological restoration is essential to confronting the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. The U.S. has powerful regulations that drive billions annually in private investment in biodiversity through an effective habitat offset market, while corporate biodiversity reporting frameworks are driving demand for credible biodiversity credits. Yet significant gaps remain between potential and performance. From lengthy approval processes, to untested credit standards, to challenges in Tribal participation, the infrastructure exists but needs strategic improvements.
Our Way Forward
We are identifying critical opportunities to channel private investment toward nature conservation at scale, working to strengthen emerging biodiversity credit markets, a scalable solution that has the potential to deliver vast improvements in species and habitat protections. Our future-looking approaches to compensatory mitigation identify government bottlenecks in decades-old Endangered Species Act implementation and fragmented mitigation processes. We propose solutions to streamline regulatory coordination, enhance habitat connectivity assessments, and integrate emerging biodiversity credit market mechanisms to make environmental offsetting more efficient, transparent, and equitable.
Building High Integrity and Effective Biodiversity Credit Markets →
Strengthening Implementation of America's Landmark Conservation Law →
Reconnecting America's Fragmented Landscapes for Wildlife and Communities →
Improving America's Established Environmental Offset Programs →