Biodiversity is the Next Frontier in Climate Tech Investing
- Andrew Clark

- Jan 15
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 9
For years, climate tech investment has been synonymous with carbon: carbon offsets, carbon markets, carbon capture. But a quiet shift is underway. As investors look for the next wave of impact and value, biodiversity is stepping into the spotlight—not as a competitor to carbon, but as its natural complement.

From ecosystem resilience to food system stability, biodiversity underpins everything we rely on to manage climate risk. And thanks to new measurement frameworks and digital infrastructure, biodiversity is now investable in ways it never was before.
Why Investors Are Paying Attention
A convergence of trends is pushing biodiversity to the top of the climate finance agenda:
Regulation: Frameworks like TNFD are prompting companies to disclose nature-related risks and dependencies.
Voluntary Markets: Major corporates are seeking high-integrity biodiversity credits to meet ESG goals.
Scientific Maturity: Field-tested methods now exist to measure biodiversity outcomes with rigor.
Tech Enablement: Blockchain, satellite imagery, and AI are making nature data scalable and auditable.
In short, the barriers that once made biodiversity a “soft” or “unquantifiable” asset are falling away.
The Case for Biodiversity as an Asset Class
Unlike carbon, which is often measured in avoided emissions, biodiversity is about ecosystems staying functional and thriving. That means:
More resilient landscapes against fire, flood, and drought
Increased agricultural productivity and pollination services
Preservation of genetic diversity and native species
Better long-term value for landholders and local communities
Platforms like Quest are translating these ecological outcomes into digital tokens that can be bought, held, and reported by investors—enabling a new category of nature-based assets.
Biodiversity + Carbon = True Climate Impact
The most impactful climate investments won’t be in either carbon or biodiversity, but in both. A restored wetland or forest doesn’t just store carbon—it supports species, improves water quality, and strengthens ecosystems. Biodiversity credits bring the co-benefits to the surface.
Investors who recognize this early can help shape the standards, earn outsized impact returns, and position themselves as leaders in a nature-positive economy.
Conclusion
The biodiversity decade has begun. For climate tech investors, it’s an opportunity to diversify portfolios, deepen impact, and unlock new value.
Explore how Quest is building the infrastructure for investable biodiversity at www.questbiodiversity.com


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