Biodiversity valuations
Photo by Chris Fallows
Putting a price on Nature
Estonia-based Endangered Wildlife OÜ has been an innovator in biodiversity valuations. Their platform is designed to support governments, corporations, and investors in assessing the monetary value of natural assets. As part of a growing trend in environmental finance, this European fintech initiative introduces a data-driven approach to valuing biodiversity.
“We’ve created a tool that puts biodiversity on the balance sheet,” says CEO Shana Vida Gavron. “It’s a way to see the invisible cost of extinction.”
Not only about carbon
While carbon credits and emissions targets dominate today’s environmental headlines, biodiversity loss has remained a vague and often invisible issue. However, this is changing as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and nature-related financial disclosures become global regulatory expectations.
Gavron says: “Biodiversity loss is harder to measure than carbon, but just as critical. Our platform gives decision-makers a way to quantify their impact – and their opportunity to act.”
Shark disappearance comes at a cost
As a demonstration, Endangered Wildlife OÜ assessed the value of the great white shark population in South Africa’s Western Cape, where sightings have plummeted in recent years. The study, commissioned by California NGO Shark Allies, found the sharks’ disappearance could cost the region more than R4.3 billion ($241-million) in lost ecological and economic value.
Key findings include:
• Tourism impact – shark diving alone was worth over R1 billion in 2019, supporting hundreds of jobs.
• Media appeal – great whites are international stars of Shark Week, documentaries, and marine campaigns, drawing global attention.
• Ecosystem ripple effects – without great whites, seal numbers have surged, putting new pressure on fish stocks and commercial fisheries.
Conservation that counts
The tool is being used by companies like Bwildi, a conservation-focused expedition company connecting donors to high-impact wildlife projects. This includes elephant collaring and rare species discovery. By partnering with Endangered Wildlife OÜ, they provide guests with personal biodiversity impact reports, quantifying the ecological value of their support.
For example, a single collared lion is estimated to generate approximately $1.4-million in ecosystem services. These wildlife tourism trips are considered recreational and long-term contributions to conservation efforts.
“When people can see the value of their contribution in black and white, it changes everything,” says Gavron.
Amid growing concerns about biodiversity loss, tools such as the Biodiversity Valuator help quantify both the costs of inaction and the potential benefits of investing in nature. In the context of accelerating species decline, nature is increasingly recognised as a critical asset in global sustainability efforts.