Biodiversity credit markets are new and unfamiliar to most of us, and misconceptions abound. Because carbon credit markets have attracted so much attention - good, bad, and ugly, there is a (mostly) false impression that carbon markets are, or should be the single model for a biodiversity market, and that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I spoke recently as part of an excellent series on biodiversity credits hosted by the Environmental Leadership Training Initiative, and below I’ve adapted my comments from that event to address some of the myths and doubts often posed by both advocates and skeptics. If others come to mind, go ahead and throw them in the comments below.

EPIC champions a bold approach to environmental restoration, aligning with the Abundance mindset by streamlining wetland restoration, leveraging technology, and using pay-for-success models. By focusing on outcomes over process, EPIC aims to make nature restoration faster, scalable, and impactful—ensuring clean air, water, and ecosystems are abundant and accessible.

The goal of this project was to determine which financial investments from foundations and other impact investors would be most likely to drive others to invest in NBS. We interviewed fourteen companies and investors focused on deploying capital into nature-based investments.

Jessie Mahr, Director of Technology, was featured on NPR's Here and Now speaking about our work in collaboration with the Public Environmental Data Partners to preserve the data, maintain public access to tools, and protect policies that improve public health and the environment.

Jessie Mahr and Kameron Kerger co-wrote an Op-Ed in Next Govt: America's digital infrastructure belongs to you, in collaboration with Katie Hoeberling, Michelle Cheripka, Jonathan Gilmour and Matt Price.

EPIC submitted public comments opposing the wholesale removal of NEPA regulations by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), arguing it would create confusion and increase litigation risk. Instead, we proposed modernizing the NEPA process through our Smart Permitting Agenda, which includes implementing clear timelines, developing programmatic reviews, creating user-friendly e-permitting systems, and establishing expedited pathways for ecological restoration. We believe an updated regulatory framework can maintain NEPA's original intent while delivering faster results and ensuring meaningful community input.

Jessie Mahr, EPIC’s Director of Technology, was featured in NYTimes. In this article, Jessie talks about EPIC’s work with the Public Environmental Data Partners and the impact of the Trump Administration in removing public access to critical environmental screening tools that taxpayers have paid for.

All Americans deserve safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water. But making sure that everyone has access remains a challenge that requires untangling a complex web of interdependent factors. EPIC is planning to scale our Texas-based tool nation-wide in order to support communities, map the utility landscape across the U.S., and help states to prioritize investments and technical assistance to improve drinking water infrastructure.