Sustainability Atlas
Biology & Biotechnology·15 min read··...

Interview: the builder's playbook for Biodiversity, conservation genetics & restoration — hard-earned lessons

A practitioner conversation: what surprised them, what failed, and what they'd do differently. Focus on implementation trade-offs, stakeholder incentives, and the hidden bottlenecks.

Species are disappearing at 10,000 times the historical baseline rate—a pace not seen since the asteroid that ended the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Yet 2024-2025 marked an inflection point: conservation genetics moved from academic journals to operational reality. Colossal Biosciences closed a $200 million Series C at a $10.2 billion valuation, becoming Texas's first decacorn. A cloned black-footed ferret named Antonia produced the first-ever offspring from a cloned endangered species. And the ecological restoration market reached $27 billion, with biodiversity conservation technologies growing at 20.7% CAGR toward a $22.8 billion market by 2030.

We spoke with practitioners across conservation genetics, restoration ecology, and sustainability leadership to understand what's actually working on the ground—and what continues to fail despite decades of effort. Their insights reveal a field in rapid transition, where the gap between technological capability and practical deployment remains the central challenge.

Why It Matters

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by 196 countries in December 2022, represents the first multilateral agreement to mandate corporate biodiversity disclosure. Target 15 explicitly requires large businesses and financial institutions to monitor, assess, and transparently disclose their biodiversity-related risks, dependencies, and impacts. By October 2024, 119 countries had submitted national targets aligned with the framework, and 44 had completed National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans.

For sustainability leads, this regulatory trajectory is accelerating faster than climate disclosure did a decade ago. The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive now includes mandatory biodiversity and ecosystem reporting standards. China's three major stock exchanges released draft mandatory biodiversity disclosure requirements in February 2024. The question is no longer whether biodiversity will become a board-level concern, but how quickly organisations can build the measurement, reporting, and intervention capabilities required.

The economic stakes are substantial. Approximately 40% of the global economy depends directly on biodiversity—from agricultural pollination to pharmaceutical compounds to water purification. McKinsey estimates $10.1 trillion annually in economic opportunity from nature-positive transitions. The voluntary biodiversity credit market, while nascent at $5.7 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $48.7 billion by 2034, growing at 24.1% CAGR.

Key Concepts

Conservation Genetics applies molecular genetic techniques to preserve species as dynamic entities capable of evolving. Unlike traditional conservation biology, which focuses on habitat and population counts, conservation genetics examines genetic diversity, inbreeding depression, and adaptive potential. The field increasingly uses whole-genome sequencing to identify populations at risk and guide interventions.

Genetic Rescue introduces genetic variation into small, inbred populations to reverse fitness declines caused by genetic erosion. This can range from translocating individuals between isolated populations to advanced techniques like conservation cloning and gene editing. The 2024 Pacific pocket mouse program demonstrated genetic rescue at scale—700+ mice bred from 49 founders, with 100 pups born in the wild following release.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) detection enables species monitoring through DNA shed into water, soil, or air. Rather than trapping or observing animals directly, practitioners collect environmental samples and sequence the genetic material present. The eDNA biomonitoring market reached $1.2-2 billion in 2024, with NatureMetrics claiming to have prevented $2.8 billion in project delays and regulatory fines through early species detection.

Biodiversity Credits function similarly to carbon credits but measure biodiversity outcomes—typically restoration of degraded habitats or protection of intact ecosystems. Unlike carbon, biodiversity lacks a universal metric, leading to varied credit types: restoration (uplift), avoided loss, and maintenance. As of late 2025, 134 projects covering 2.5+ million hectares have issued or planned 15 million credits, with one-third of projects launching in 2025 alone.

What's Working

Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Cloning

The black-footed ferret recovery program represents conservation genetics' most complete success story. Once thought extinct, the species was rediscovered in 1981 with just 18 individuals. Seven became the founders of all living black-footed ferrets—a genetic bottleneck that constrained population fitness for decades.

In 2024, Antonia—a ferret cloned from cells frozen in 1988—produced two healthy kits, marking the first offspring ever born from a cloned endangered mammal. "This changes everything about how we think about biobanking," explains a Revive & Restore researcher. "Cells frozen 35 years ago are now contributing novel genetic diversity to the wild population. We've essentially brought an eighth founder into the lineage."

The success validates the entire genetic rescue toolkit: biobanking, somatic cell nuclear transfer, and careful integration with field conservation. Revive & Restore has now worked on the project for over a decade, demonstrating the long timescales required for translational conservation biotechnology.

NatureMetrics and eDNA Scaling

NatureMetrics has emerged as the market leader in commercial eDNA services, operating an end-to-end platform from sampling kits to biodiversity reports. The UK-based company monitors freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems for corporate clients facing biodiversity disclosure requirements.

"We're seeing demand shift from project-based assessments to ongoing monitoring subscriptions," notes a biodiversity monitoring specialist. "Companies need quarterly data for CSRD compliance, not annual snapshots. eDNA enables that at costs traditional surveys cannot match."

The technology has particular traction in the UK, where eDNA replaced traditional four-season night surveys for great crested newt monitoring—reducing both cost and project timeline. Denmark implemented a nationwide eDNA program for endangered species detection. For infrastructure developers, early detection of protected species prevents the costly delays that historically occurred when species were discovered mid-construction.

Advanced Coral Toolkit

Revive & Restore's Advanced Coral Toolkit (ACT) has awarded $8+ million across 13 projects over five years, developing technologies for climate-resistant coral restoration. The program funds cryopreservation techniques, genetic rescue approaches, and CRISPR-Cas9 research to identify thermotolerance genes.

"Coral restoration was historically about growing fragments faster," observes a marine conservation researcher. "The paradigm shift is toward breeding for resilience—selecting and enhancing genetic variants that tolerate warmer, more acidic conditions. That requires genomic tools that didn't exist a decade ago."

The 2021-2024 CORALCARE project used CRISPR gene editing to identify candidate genes for heat tolerance, establishing proof-of-concept for genetic intervention in reef systems. While deployment remains years away, the foundational research creates options for a future where traditional restoration cannot keep pace with ocean warming.

What's Not Working

The Application Gap

Despite explosive growth in conservation genomics research—36,159 peer-reviewed publications analysed in a 2024 study—only 10% of findings are evident in management decisions or government documents. The application gap persists because academic incentives reward publication over implementation, and conservation managers often lack genomics training.

"We have more genomic data than ever, but the people making on-the-ground decisions rarely access it," observes a conservation policy specialist. "The translation layer barely exists. Researchers publish, managers struggle with immediate crises, and the data sits unused."

The IUCN Red List now includes genetic criteria for threat assessment, but capacity to conduct the required analyses remains concentrated in wealthy institutions. Latin American conservation programs, despite managing extraordinary biodiversity, face persistent barriers to sequencing access and genomics expertise.

De-Extinction Timeline Skepticism

Colossal Biosciences' ambitious targets—woolly mammoth by late 2028, thylacine by 2028—have attracted both $435 million in funding and substantial scientific skepticism. The company has produced chimeric chicken embryos for dodo research and engineered marsupial cells with cane toad toxin resistance, but the gap between laboratory achievements and living, reproductively viable organisms remains vast.

"The fundamental science is real and valuable," acknowledges a developmental biologist familiar with the work. "The timelines are marketing. You don't create a viable mammoth by editing Asian elephant cells—you need to solve uterine incompatibility, neonatal care for a species no human has ever observed, and ecological release into an environment that may not support mega-herbivores."

Critics argue that de-extinction funding diverts resources from proven conservation interventions. Colossal counters that spinout technologies—like its Breaking subsidiary for plastic degradation—generate value regardless of flagship project outcomes. The tension reflects broader debates about whether conservation biotechnology should focus on charismatic impossibilities or scalable applications.

Biodiversity Credit Standardisation

The biodiversity credit market's 24% CAGR masks fundamental fragmentation. Unlike carbon, which reduces to CO₂-equivalent, biodiversity lacks a fungible unit. Credits may represent species richness, habitat hectares, ecological condition scores, or avoided extinction risk—each with different measurement methodologies and verification standards.

"We're in the 2005 moment for carbon markets," explains a biodiversity finance practitioner. "Everyone knows this needs to scale, no one agrees on what a credit actually means. The risk is a replay of early carbon—scandals, writedowns, and regulatory backlash that sets the entire market back a decade."

The Sierra del Divisor project in Peru, ten times larger than the average biodiversity project, raised $1.2 million from luxury brands via the Restore platform. But replicating such successes requires standardisation that currently doesn't exist. COP16 in October 2024 worked on monitoring frameworks, but agreed methodologies remain under development.

Key Players

Established Leaders

Revive & Restore — The San Francisco-based nonprofit has raised $25+ million for catalytic R&D worldwide, operating programs spanning genetic rescue, conservation cloning, and advanced reproductive technologies. Their 95+ scientific advisors and 40+ postdoctoral researchers across 17 global labs make them the field's primary coordinating body.

The Nature Conservancy — The world's largest environmental organisation, operating in 72 countries with $7.3 billion in assets. Their natural climate solutions work increasingly incorporates genetic considerations for restoration plantings and wildlife corridors.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance — Their Frozen Zoo biobank holds cryopreserved cells from over 10,000 individual animals representing 1,200+ species. The Pacific pocket mouse and black-footed ferret programs demonstrate operational genetic rescue at population scale.

NatureMetrics — The UK-based eDNA company has become the default provider for corporate biodiversity monitoring in Europe, with services preventing billions in project delays through early protected species detection.

Emerging Startups

Colossal Biosciences — The Austin/Dallas de-extinction company holds $435 million in funding at a $10.2 billion valuation. Beyond flagship projects, their Colossal Foundation launched with $50 million for conservation technology deployment, and spinouts like Breaking ($10.5 million seed funding for plastic degradation) demonstrate commercial translation.

EnviroDNA — Australia's first eDNA company, now collaborating with California Department of Fish & Wildlife on water quality and species monitoring across Pacific ecosystems.

Spygen — French eDNA sequencing and analysis provider, serving European environmental compliance markets.

Basecamp Research — UK biodiversity data platform building the world's largest database of protein sequences from diverse ecosystems, enabling both conservation monitoring and biotechnology applications.

Key Investors & Funders

Bezos Earth Fund — Awarded $2 million to Revive & Restore's Biotech for Climate Resilience Fund as part of the AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge.

Breakthrough Energy Ventures — Bill Gates-backed climate fund with increasing focus on nature-based solutions and agricultural biotechnology.

In-Q-Tel — The CIA's venture arm invested in Colossal Biosciences, reflecting national security interest in biotechnology capabilities.

Global Environment Facility (GEF) — Approved $916 million in February 2024 for biodiversity, climate, nature restoration, and pollution projects globally.

European Investment Bank — Major funder of nature-based solutions through the Natural Capital Financing Facility and InvestEU Natural Capital Pillar.

Action Checklist

  1. Conduct a biodiversity materiality assessment — Map which species and ecosystems your operations and supply chains depend upon. Use frameworks like TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures) to identify risks before they become regulatory requirements.

  2. Establish eDNA baseline monitoring — Engage providers like NatureMetrics or EnviroDNA to create species inventories across key sites. Quarterly monitoring enables trend detection and demonstrates due diligence for disclosure requirements.

  3. Audit biobanking coverage — For agricultural, pharmaceutical, or natural resource businesses, assess whether genetic resources critical to operations are cryopreserved. Partner with institutions like the San Diego Zoo's Frozen Zoo or national genebanks to fill gaps.

  4. Evaluate biodiversity credit opportunities — Review emerging registries (Verra, Plan Vivo) and project developers (Terrasos, BioCarbon Partners) for supply chain offset potential. Focus on projects with robust measurement methodologies and third-party verification.

  5. Build genomics literacy on sustainability teams — Conservation genetics is no longer specialist knowledge. Ensure key staff understand genetic diversity, population viability, and intervention options. Revive & Restore and IUCN Conservation Genetics Specialist Group offer accessible resources.

  6. Integrate biodiversity into climate strategy — Nature-based solutions deliver both carbon sequestration and biodiversity co-benefits. Ensure restoration investments specify genetically appropriate source material and monitor ecological outcomes beyond carbon.

  7. Engage with emerging standards — Participate in TNFD pilots, Science-Based Targets Network consultations, and national NBSAP processes. Early engagement shapes standards rather than merely complying with them.

  8. Prepare for Target 15 disclosure — The Kunming-Montreal Framework's corporate disclosure requirement will cascade into regulation. Begin collecting biodiversity impact data now, even before mandatory reporting begins.

FAQ

Q: How do we measure biodiversity impact when there's no equivalent to CO₂ for nature?

A: Unlike carbon's single metric, biodiversity requires multi-indicator approaches. The Science-Based Targets Network recommends measuring impacts across three dimensions: species (population trends, extinction risk), ecosystems (extent, condition, connectivity), and freshwater (quantity, quality). For corporate reporting, start with what's measurable—land use change, water consumption in stressed basins, and pollution loads—while building capacity for more sophisticated ecological monitoring. The TNFD LEAP framework (Locate, Evaluate, Assess, Prepare) provides a structured approach to identifying priority metrics for your specific operations and value chain.

Q: Is genetic rescue worth the cost compared to traditional conservation?

A: Genetic rescue is a complement to, not replacement for, habitat protection and population management. Cost-effectiveness depends on context. For species reduced to extremely small populations—like the black-footed ferret's seven founders—genetic intervention may be the only path to long-term viability. The Pacific pocket mouse program cost millions but saved a species that would otherwise have entered an extinction vortex. For larger populations with adequate genetic diversity, traditional conservation remains more cost-effective. The decision framework should assess: (1) population size and trend, (2) genetic diversity relative to historical baseline, (3) habitat availability, and (4) availability of source populations for natural gene flow. Where genetic bottlenecks constrain recovery despite habitat restoration, genetic rescue delivers returns that habitat-only approaches cannot.

Q: What's the realistic timeline for conservation biotechnology to scale?

A: eDNA monitoring is already scaled—NatureMetrics and competitors serve thousands of projects annually. Genetic rescue through managed breeding is operational at institutions like San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Conservation cloning has produced viable offspring in black-footed ferrets and Przewalski's horses. Gene editing for conservation remains research-stage, with coral and toad applications in early trials. De-extinction of charismatic megafauna is likely a decade or more away despite ambitious company timelines. The practical bottleneck isn't technology but regulatory frameworks, public acceptance, and—critically—habitat availability for any recovered species. A de-extinct mammoth with nowhere to live achieves little. Focus near-term investment on proven interventions while supporting research that creates future options.

Q: How do biodiversity credits differ from carbon credits, and should we invest in them?

A: Biodiversity credits represent measured improvements in ecological condition—species populations, habitat extent, or ecosystem health—rather than tonnes of CO₂. Unlike fungible carbon credits, biodiversity outcomes are site-specific and less easily compared. Current limitations include: lack of standardised metrics (each registry uses different methodologies), limited secondary market liquidity, and immature verification standards. For early corporate buyers, biodiversity credits can demonstrate nature-positive commitment and build relationships with project developers ahead of potential compliance markets. However, approach with caution: verify additionality (would conservation have happened anyway?), permanence (can outcomes be reversed?), and measurement rigour. The market will mature significantly by 2030, so building expertise now positions organisations for scaled participation when standards solidify.

Q: What regulatory changes should we prepare for?

A: Target 15 of the Kunming-Montreal Framework establishes the international mandate for corporate biodiversity disclosure. Expect implementation through: (1) EU CSRD, which already includes biodiversity standards; (2) potential SEC biodiversity disclosure rules following the climate disclosure precedent; (3) national legislation implementing NBSAPs; and (4) stock exchange listing requirements, as seen in China's February 2024 draft rules. Financial institutions face additional pressure through TNFD-aligned disclosure expectations. The first national progress reports are due in February 2026, which will reveal the pace of regulatory implementation. Build disclosure capability now—data collection, governance structures, and external reporting—to avoid scrambling when requirements become mandatory.

Sources

Conservation genetics has reached the point where technology is no longer the primary constraint—implementation is. The practitioners we spoke with consistently emphasised that the tools exist to reverse genetic erosion, detect species before they're lost, and measure biodiversity outcomes at scale. The challenge is building the institutional capacity, regulatory frameworks, and commercial models to deploy these tools across the landscapes that need them. For sustainability leads, the message is clear: biodiversity will follow the trajectory of climate from voluntary commitment to mandatory disclosure. The organisations that build capability now will shape standards and capture value in a market projected to exceed $50 billion by 2034.

Topics

biodiversityconservationsynthetic biologymicrobiomebenchmark KPIscomplianceScope 3

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