How can innovation support biodiversity?

How can innovation support biodiversity?

Key messages

• Innovation is a powerful lever for protecting and restoring biodiversity while generating new economic activities. It can take multiple forms – including both technological innovations, such as drones for biodiversity monitoring and restoration, as well as non-technological innovations, such as biodiversity-friendly business models and labelling or certification schemes that embed biodiversity considerations into products to create market demand for biodiversity-positive goods and services.

• Digital technologies and tools are transforming how biodiversity is monitored, understood and managed. Technologies such as AI, drones, and satellite imagery, enhance data collection, analysis and decision-making and enable more targeted conservation and ecosystem restoration actions, including in remote or hard-to-access areas. They also offer opportunities for relevant large-scale collaborations across scientists and with citizens by allowing for setting up virtual platforms and depositories.

• Biodiversity innovation benefits from co-operation across sectors and disciplines, combining knowledge in the fields of environmental and biological sciences and those in the fields of robotics, biotechnology, AI, and big data analytics, among others. Innovation in this field also benefits from citizen engagement, including through citizen science platforms that enable continuous, larger-scale monitoring of species and ecosystems.

• Agricultural innovation is central to halting biodiversity loss and restoring ecosystems. Agriculture can both threaten and support natural ecosystems and biodiversity. Technological solutions (e.g., in the field of precision agriculture) and non-technological approaches (e.g., regenerative practices such as crop diversification, eco-certification) can help improve resource efficiency, restore soils, enhance biodiversity, and reduce environmental impacts.

• Policies that support diffusion and local adaptation of innovations can unlock impact at scale. Realising large benefits from innovation adoption is a function of enabling policy and infrastructure, including financial incentives, capacity-building, and digital systems, combined with stakeholder engagement and adaptation to local contexts, as exemplified by innovation labs and collaborative programmes in various countries.

What’s the issue?

Biodiversity – which refers to the variety of living species on Earth, including plants, animals, bacteria and fungi (United Nations, 1992[1]) – is essential for sustaining economic activities and human well-being. It provides vital ecosystem services, including food provision, pollination, water purification, flood protection, and climate regulation. Biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate because of land use changes, resource overexploitation, climate change, pollution and invasive species (OECD, 2021[2]). The global population of wild species has fallen on average by 73% between 1970 and 2020 (Figure 1), and over one million plant and animal species – constituting a quarter of the world’s species – are at risk of extinction (IPBES, 2019[3]). This threatens the stability and resilience of ecosystems on which human societies and economies depend; at least USD 44 trillion of economic value generation (over half of the world’s GDP) is moderately or highly dependent on nature and ecosystem services (OECD, 2021[2]).

Figure 1. Global Living Planet Index: a 73% average decline in wildlife populations

Note: The Living Planet Index (LPI) measures the average change in abundance in 34,836 populations across 5,495 native species relative to the year 1970 (i.e., 1970 = 100%). The Living Planet Index only includes figures on vertebrate species – mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. It does not include insects, corals, fungi, or plants.

Source: WWF and Zoological Society of London (2024). OurWorldInData.org/biodiversity | CC BY.

This policy brief examines a broad range of innovations, including recent examples of digital and non-technological innovations, that can contribute to the preservation and restoration of biodiversity while stimulating new economic activities. Drawing on insights from the agriculture sector, which is a central sector as regards nature preservation, it explores the sectors’ key opportunities and challenges for developing and diffusing biodiversity-relevant innovations.

It builds on insights gathered during the “Harnessing Innovation for Biodiversity” project (2023-25) of the OECD Working Party on Innovation and Technology Policy (TIP) with support from Italy’s National Biodiversity Future Centre. The brief is accompanied by a second policy brief titled “Designing Green STI Policies: Evidence from Practice”1.

What is at stake?

Science, technology and innovation (STI) can contribute to supporting biodiversity efforts. Examples include remote sensing technologies to gather data about the physical, chemical and biological features of natural ecosystems, map protected areas and monitor changes and the implementation of technologies for impact mitigation and ecosystem restoration, such as vertical farming and precision agriculture. Non-technological innovations such as product certification schemes to boost demand for biodiversity-friendly products are also relevant.

At the same time, new technologies and innovation can also generate adverse environmental externalities that are often overlooked. Since ecosystems, species, land and water have public good characteristics, in that many of its benefits are shared broadly and are difficult to exclude others from using, they are frequently under-valued in economic decision-making and over-used. Biodiversity considerations are also often not integrated in STI policy, raising the risk of unintended environmental impacts of techno-industrial development, and missing opportunities of harnessing STI to support both biodiversity and economic growth.

What is innovation for biodiversity? A spectrum of supporting innovations

Innovation for biodiversity falls under the broader category of green innovations, which are new or improved products or processes that lead to environmental improvements compared to existing alternatives (Paunov et al., 2025[4]).

Figure 2 outlines the range of innovations for biodiversity. It comprises those that directly aim at monitoring, preserving, restoring or mitigating impacts on natural resources and biodiversity, but also others, notably those aimed at reducing air, water, soil or noise pollution and improving the re-use of resources (e.g. circular economy).

Figure 2. The range of innovations supporting biodiversity

Source: Adapted from (Paunov et al., 2025[4]).

Innovations supporting biodiversity efforts span across a wide spectrum, ranging from technology innovations (e.g. AI and robotics applications for biodiversity monitoring and restoration) to non-technological innovations (e.g. changes in incentives systems that encourage agricultural practices or consumption patterns to reduce environmental footprints). Tables 1, 2 and 3 provide concrete examples.

New technologies and digital tools are supporting biodiversity efforts. For example, the use of AI and machine learning allows to automate data analysis utilising diverse data sources such as imagery or sounds (see, e.g., (OECD, 2025[5]) for the ocean economy). Other examples include remote sensing technologies such as drones or satellites, that allow large-scale monitoring of ecosystems to help tracking deforestation rates, monitor habitat changes, and identify biodiversity hotspots across vast geographical areas; underwater robots equipped with sensors and cameras to monitor marine ecosystems, collect samples, replant coral fragments, or remove marine debris; and seed genebanks to conserve genetic plant material under controlled conditions, that may allow restoring lost plant variations (Mascher et al., 2019[6]).

At the same time, STI can also create unintended environmental pressures. For example, biotechnology applications may alter ecosystems if not carefully assessed. The development and deployment of AI applications and digital tools can have high material, water and energy footprints (OECD, 2022[7]). Battery technologies heavily rely on critical minerals that depend on mining practices impacting biodiversity. Governance frameworks such as the OECD Framework for Anticipatory Governance of Emerging Technologies embeds biodiversity as a guiding value to shape responsible innovation. Similarly, the 2012 OECD Recommendation on Assessing the Sustainability of Bio-Based Products [OECD/LEGAL/0395] encourages evaluating environmental, social, and economic impacts to ensure innovation supports ecosystem protection.

Innovations and new collaborations for biodiversity

New technologies are also enhancing more collaborative approaches to innovation for biodiversity, including by enabling citizen science initiatives. Citizen science initiatives can speed up research and enable large scale projects by engaging citizens in the collection of data in their local environments (e.g. biodiversity sightings) (OECD, 2025[8]). The initiatives help to collect large scales of data to monitor species and habitats via technologies like mobile apps, drones, cameras, and sensors. For example, the Ebird app used by citizens across the world is a science project contributing to biodiversity assessment and monitoring data on birds. Via the app, users document bird distribution, abundance, habitat use, and trends through checklist data collected within a simple, scientific framework. Tools like AI help to categorise the collected data. The data can then be used by scientists, or land managers to track changes in bird distributions and identify bird populations that require conservation.

Innovation for biodiversity benefits from cross-sectoral synergies and co-operation. Many new technologies helping biodiversity assessment, monitoring and restoration build on (generic) advances in science and technology such as robotics, biotech, AI or big data (OECD, 2019[9]). For example, the French-Brazilian startup Morfo combines knowledge and technologies from agritech, machine learning, and computer vision to generate drone technologies for reforestation. The Ocean Hackathon organised by Campus mondial de la mer in Brest, France, brings together multi-disciplinary teams from a broad range of backgrounds to develop digital innovation for ocean preservation. More in depth case studies on cross-sectoral ocean innovation are provided in (OECD, 2019[9]).

An in-depth transformation toward environmentally sustainable systems also requires non-technological innovations - i.e. changes in how economies and societies organise, produce, consume, and behave. Concrete examples of non-technological innovations that contribute to biodiversity goals are presented in Table 3. This includes efforts to embed environmental considerations into organisational practises and processes like the use of standards, codes of conduct, and market exclusion mechanisms for biodiversity protection. Other examples are certification schemes labelling products as promoting biodiversity, which can help induce changes in consumption behaviours; integrating biodiversity considerations in spatial planning and infrastructure development projects; as well as the provision of innovative incentive schemes to support biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices and investments in biodiversity restoration projects, as exemplified by payments for environmental services and nature conservation bonds.

Examples of STI applications to support biodiversity efforts

Table 1. Technological innovations for biodiversity assessment and monitoring

	Application	Examples
Remote sensing via drones or satellites	High-resolution imagery collected via drones or satellites enables tracking deforestation rates, monitor habitat changes, and identify biodiversity hotspots across vast geographical areas. For example, satellite systems equipped with hyperspectral sensors can detect subtle changes in vegetation health, water quality, and land use patterns. This is particularly valuable for monitoring protected areas, tracking illegal logging activities, or assessing the health of coral reefs through ocean colour analysis.	The European Space Agency's Sentinel missions provide free, high-frequency data that supports conservation organizations worldwide, democratizing access to critical environmental information.
Robotic monitoring for marine ecosystems	Robots, ranging from autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), are equipped with sensors, cameras, and tools to collect samples, monitor, and map marine ecosystems. They can operate in environments too hostile or deep for human divers, allowing to monitor ocean floors and marine life.	ETH Zurich developed a prototype of a robotic fish to monitor and explore underwater life.
AI and machine learning	A variety of AI and machine learning applications enable ecosystem monitoring through, e.g., automated species identification and habitat mapping utilising diverse data sources such as imagery, sensors or sounds.	Tumaini is an AI powered mobile app for farmers to identify and manage crop diseases through images, originally designed for banana crops now being adapted for beans. Spoor’s software uses computer vision and AI to detect, track, and classify birds in wind farms to help developers and operators gain insights and guide mitigation measures. Science projects like BioAcoustic AI use sound recognition based on AI and acoustic signal processing to, e.g., monitor hard to detect birds.
Genetic technologies and DNA sequencing	Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling enables analysing genetic material present in water, soil, or air samples, to detect the presence of species without directly observing them. The non-invasive technique is particularly powerful for monitoring aquatic ecosystems, rare species, and cryptic organisms that are difficult to study through traditional methods. Next-generation sequencing technologies reduce cost and time required for genetic analysis, enabling large-scale biodiversity surveys and the discovery of new species.	US Geological Survey (USGS) is active in developing and applying eDNA tools, developing standards and best practices in form of an eDNA Toolbox. NatureMetrics is a UK-based start-up that collects and analyses eDNA to monitor and report on biodiversity.

Source: (Getahun, Kefale and Gelaye, 2024[10]), (Pettorelli et al., 2018[11]), (Christin, Hervet and Lecomte, 2019[12]), (Campi et al., 2024[13]). (OECD, 2019[9]).

Table 2. Technological innovations for impact mitigation and ecosystem restoration

	Application	Examples
Precision agriculture technologies	Use of technologies such as GPS, drones, sensors, or data-driven tools that enhance sustainable agricultural practises and optimise crop, soil, and resource management. This can increase resource efficiency and decrease resource use (e.g., of pesticides, fertilizers, water), reducing the impact of farming on surrounding ecosystems. The use of Internet of Things (IoT) applications can provide further contributions to optimising resource use and thus being more sustainable and efficient.	GPS-guided equipment, variable rate technology, and soil sensors minimize pesticide and fertilizer application by targeting only areas that need treatment, reducing chemical runoff into surrounding ecosystems. Drone-based crop monitoring with multispectral imaging detects pest infestations and plant stress early, enabling targeted interventions rather than blanket pesticide applications across entire fields. Precision irrigation systems reduce water use and prevent over-watering that can lead to nutrient leaching into waterways.
Seed genebanks	Facilities where genetic plant material is conserved under controlled conditions, ensuring the longevity of plant species, preserving crop diversity, and enabling scientists and plant breeders to restore plant variations in some instances or use their genetic properties to develop new crops with increased resilience to climate change.	Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is a large, widely distributed genebanks, covering over 700,000 types of plant species.
Seed firing drones for re-forestation	Seed firing drones plant seed pods (seeds protected by a carbon rich coating that protects them from wildlife and contains resources to boost early-stage growth) from the air into the ground, being fast and accurate, reaching diverse and hard to reach landscapes. They are a solution to fight de-forestation.	SKYSEED , a German start-up, combines drones and pelletised seeds for (re-) forestation.
Sustainable aquaculture	Biodiversity-friendly aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms, such as fish, seafood, and algae, in controlled environments for human consumption and other purposes. It is alternative for wild fish capture. It improves production and reduces environmental impacts by avoiding overfishing at the same time. Different tools and technologies are used, e.g., feeding technologies, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) where water is continuously filtered and reused, or biotechnical applications for disease management (e.g. innovation in vaccines).	ActFast is an Horizon Europe research project on future aquaculture strategies and technologies. In different sub-projects, work in conducted on aquafeeds, AI-based monitoring, and technologies for disease management.
Marine restoration robotics	Underwater robots offer solutions to replant coral fragments, restore seagrass meadows or remove marine debris and invasive species especially in areas difficult for humans divers to access.	Great Barrier Reef’s LarvalBot project used robots to distribute coral larvae across damaged reef areas, helping natural recovery processes.

Source: (Getahun, Kefale and Gelaye, 2024[10]), (Pettorelli et al., 2018[11]), (Christin, Hervet and Lecomte, 2019[12]), (Campi et al., 2024[13]). (OECD, 2019[9]).

Table 3. Non-technological innovations for biodiversity

	Application	Examples
Biodiversity compensation schemes	Market based approaches such as biocredits (or biodiversity credits) – similarly to carbon credits – are measurable and traceable units of biodiversity that can be traded and sold for investment in biodiversity conservation.	UK scheme of Statutory Biodiversity Credits, whereby developers are required to purchase biodiversity credits where they cannot meet the mandatory 10% on-site or off-site Biodiversity Net Gain requirements for their developments. The generated funds are used for biodiversity enhancements.
Payment for ecosystem services	Financial rewards for landowners or resource managers for adopting practices that maintain or enhance ecosystem services, such as payments to farmers for forest preservation, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity and watershed protection.	Costa Rica’s Payment for Environmental Services Programme, under which families receive direct cash transfers through 5- to 10-year contracts for activities including forest conservation, reforestation, and agroforestry.
Nature conservation bonds	Nature Conservation Bonds, which are a form of impact investments and represent a financial innovation targeting ecological restoration. Investors provide upfront payments that are then provided to fund projects supporting biodiversity, and returns are linked to the achievement of verified environmental outcomes.	Canada’s Conservation Impact Bonds supports biodiversity protection in the Carolinian Zone. The bonds bring together conservation organisations, indigenous partners, private investors, and government agencies to fund habitat restoration, native species planting, and ecological monitoring. London-based Mirova’s Sustainable Ocean Fund is an impact investment fund, investing to support a sustainable ocean economy globally, key areas being sustainable seafood, the circular economy and ocean conservation.
Biodiversity considerations in spatial planning	Spatial planning that includes biodiversity considerations into land use and infrastructure development decisions. For example, this can mitigate ecosystem harm in renewable energy development projects by co-locating biodiversity protection or restoration efforts with renewable power infrastructure.	Southern California’s renewable power development plan, where effective spatial planning has designated over 6.5 million acres of land for conservation to protect natural ecosystems as part of the wider renewable energy strategy.
Biodiversity-friendly business model innovation	New business models that are commercially viable and account for biodiversity implications of business practices. This includes business models based on biodiversity offsets like eco-tourism platforms that reinvest revenue into local biodiversity projects.	Sweden’s Nature and Ecotourism Association provides a national certification for eco-tour operators.
Biodiversity-friendly organisational and process innovation	Novel forms of organizational practices or processes that consider biodiversity. For example, Integrating biodiversity KPIs into firms’ performance metrics Implementing management practices like the use of standards, codes of conduct, and market exclusion mechanisms for biodiversity protection Embedding biodiversity considerations across the supply chain through changes in procurement, suppliers, and internal processes Including biodiversity in companies’ Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework.	IKEA’s supplier code of conduct, IWAY, mandates biodiversity risk assessments before using forest materials, prohibits materials sourced from areas affected by deforestation, and prioritises products certified as consisting of 100% recycled forest materials.
Certification schemes	Labelling schemes that help consumers identify biodiversity-safe products and help the development of markets.	Rainforest Alliance Regenerative Agriculture Certification is a standard aiming to improve farms’ biodiversity outcomes.

Source: (Krstić et al., 2025[14]), (Kopnina et al., 2024[15]), (Addison, Carbone and McCormick, 2018[16]), (Brandt and Buckley, 2018[17]), , (UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 2020[18]), (Thompson, 2022[19]), (Nunes and Riyanto, 2005[20]), (World Economic Forum, 2023[21]), (OECD, 2024[22]).

Innovations for biodiversity and adoption policies: The case of agriculture

The agricultural sector both contributes to biodiversity loss and climate change and has the potential to be part of the solution. Agricultural practices can contribute to habitat loss, soil degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions, putting pressure on ecosystems and species. At the same time, a range of technological and non-technological approaches can support more sustainable agricultural systems. Technologies such as sensors, drones, and AI enable more efficient resource use, monitoring, and decision-making, while non-technological practices – including regenerative practices2, eco-certification and payments for ecosystem services – can help align production with conservation objectives. Tables 1, 2 and 3 give examples of these types of innovations relevant to agriculture.

Technological progress has allowed for precision agriculture, which uses data and digital tools (Internet of Things applications, data analytics) to tailor inputs (such as water, fertilisers, and pesticides) to specific crops and exact field conditions. The impact of adopting these innovations in agriculture is potentially substantive. Estimates suggest that precision agriculture would allow cutting 20-40% of water and 15-30% of pesticide use while maintaining productivity (Johnson and Garcia, 2025[23]).

The deployment of technological solutions in the agricultural sector relies on adapting to diverse local agricultural contexts, requiring from the engagement of stakeholders. Involving local communities in biodiversity efforts, jointly with industry, policy and universities and sharing territorial interventions with local partners is important for the wider deployment of relevant technologies, also as adaptations of solutions will be needed due to different conditions for agriculture, ranging from soil conditions to the way agricultural production is organised. One way of enhancing connections to innovation, used in Costa Rica, is the creation of 26 community innovation labs across the country that aim to bring different technological innovations to the regions (OECD, 2025[24]). This echoes insights on the contributions of stakeholder engagement to spur innovation outcomes (Paunov and Planes-Satorra, 2023[25]).

Realising the impacts of sustainable and digital agricultural innovations depends on their effective diffusion, with a variety of policy instruments developed, including:

• Financial incentives: France’s payments for environmental services (PSE) compensate farmers for practices that restore or maintain ecosystems, generating societal benefits such as improved water quality, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity protection.

• Capacity-building initiatives: Costa Rica’s Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications (MICITT), together with the National Learning Institute (INA), local cooperatives, and municipalities, engages in training and capacity building efforts to enhance farmers’ ability to adopt digital tools for a more sustainable agricultural system (OECD, 2025[24]).

• Digital infrastructure improvements: The Italian non-profit Varda Foundation tackles data fragmentation by developing a global FieldID system, which assigns unique identifiers to agricultural plots and enables more effective sharing and use of farm-level information across the sector.

What can policymakers do?

• Integrate biodiversity goals into science, technology and innovation (STI) policies. Integrate biodiversity objectives into innovation strategies, funding programmes and regulatory frameworks, ensuring that technological development actively supports ecosystem protection and restoration, while minimising unintended environmental impacts.

• Support the development and market uptake of biodiversity-relevant innovations. This includes supporting biodiversity start-ups and entrepreneurs, stimulating demand (e.g. through public procurement) and creating enabling regulatory frameworks for the application of frontier technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence, remote sensing and robotics) and non-technological innovations (e.g. certification schemes and sustainable business models) that enable monitoring, conservation, restoration and sustainable use of ecosystems.

• Promote diffusion, scaling and local adaptation of solutions. Strengthen financial incentives, digital infrastructure, skills development and capacity building to accelerate uptake across regions and sectors adaptation of solutions to local contexts, particularly in agriculture and other biodiversity-critical sectors.

• Foster cross-sector collaboration and citizen engagement. Encourage innovation partnerships for biodiversity across disciplines and across research and industries. Support citizen science platforms to expand data collection, raise awareness and build public support.

• Ensure responsible and anticipatory governance of emerging technologies. Apply anticipatory governance approaches and evaluation tools that manage risks and assess environmental footprints of emerging technologies.

Notes

← 1.  More information about the project, including events organised and main outputs, can be found here.

← 2.  Regenerative practices focus on restoring soil health and ecosystem functions through practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, and crop rotations, offer opportunities to restore soils, enhance biodiversity, and reduce environmental footprints.