How are nature tech solutions driving the nature positive transition?
The Nature Tech Collective's Executive Director, Gilad Goren joined Helen Dodd, Head of Sustainability Practice at Instinctif Partners, for a fascinating discussion about the emerging field of nature tech. They explored how nature tech is driving the transition to a nature-positive future, the groundbreaking innovations happening in the sector, and what businesses need to know to stay ahead. Here’s the transcript of their conversation.
This episode was hosted by "Innovation Zero" on their Zero In Conversation Podcast 🎙️.
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Helen Dodd:
Welcome back to another episode of Zero In Conversation, brought to you by the Innovation Zero World Congress and Instinctif Partners. In this podcast series, we explore the people, processes, and technologies that are driving low-carbon innovation. We feature insights from industry leaders, policy experts, and innovators. I’m Helen Dodd, Head of Sustainability at Instinctif Partners, and today, I’m delighted to be joined by Gilad Goren, Executive Director of the Nature Tech Collective. Welcome, Gilad, and thank you for joining us today. Would you like to introduce yourself?
Gilad Goren:
Thanks for having me, Helen. It’s great to be here! I’m Gilad Goren, and for the past 15 years, I’ve worked at the intersection of impact tech and entrepreneurship. Recently, I’ve been focused on nature tech, as the Executive Director of the Nature Tech Collective. It’s an exciting time, especially as we see nature tech emerge as a critical field alongside climate tech.
Helen Dodd:
It really is an exciting time. Nature tech is still relatively new compared to climate tech, so for someone who might not be familiar with the term, how would you define nature tech? And what’s exciting about it?
Gilad Goren:
Great question! When we think about planetary health, the focus is often on climate, but climate is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. At the Nature Tech Collective, we define nature tech as the technological innovations that contribute to the nature-positive transition—meaning that these solutions help restore and protect natural ecosystems, going beyond just addressing climate change. Nature tech spans a range of solutions across sectors like agriculture, conservation, finance, and the built environment.
Nature tech isn’t just about reducing environmental harm; it’s about creating positive impacts on nature. For example, regenerative agriculture or technologies that monitor biodiversity. We have so much potential to transform industries through nature-based solutions, which is what’s so exciting!
Helen Dodd:
You mentioned that nature tech spans across several sectors. Could you share more about the kinds of projects currently being funded in this area? What can make a real difference?
Gilad Goren:
Absolutely! The projects in nature tech generally fall into five key categories, although there is a lot of overlap between them.
These categories are really helping to drive the nature-positive transition:
Enabling Market Pressures: These are tools that help companies and governments track their progress toward nature-positive outcomes. A good example is the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), which helps organizations measure their impact on nature.
Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV): Gathering high-quality, reliable data is critical. These technologies allow businesses to collect and manage data on nature’s health, helping them make informed decisions.
Modeling: Once we have that data, the next step is modeling—turning that raw information into insights that can drive real change. These tools help businesses understand the best actions to take.
Material Change: This includes actual nature-based interventions, like drone-based seed planting or new algae-based fertilizers that restore soil health. These solutions have the potential to create significant positive impacts.
Monetization: Here, we’re talking about financial solutions like biodiversity credits or payments for ecosystem services. These market-driven tools can help incentivize nature-positive action and bring funding into the sector.
Helen Dodd:
There’s always a challenge with measuring impact, especially when it comes to nature, compared to carbon. Do you agree that this is one of the biggest challenges in nature tech? And are there any projects that are helping to address this?
Gilad Goren:
Yes, it’s definitely a challenge. Carbon metrics have become relatively standardized, but nature is far more complex. Measuring biodiversity or ecosystem health is difficult because it’s so local and context-dependent. But we’re making progress. Technologies to monitor nature are rapidly improving, and we’re seeing more sophisticated platforms for measuring and reporting on nature-related risks and opportunities.
For example, later this month, the World Resources Institute (WRI) will launch a platform aimed at establishing baselines for nature data. This will be a game-changer, providing much-needed clarity on how to track nature’s health and progress toward nature-positive goals.
Helen Dodd:
That’s definitely an exciting development! You also mentioned the TNFD earlier. As nature-related disclosures are becoming mandatory for businesses, how do you see this shaping the future of nature tech?
Gilad Goren:
The TNFD and other disclosure frameworks are going to be a huge driver for nature tech. A few years ago, there was very little awareness about the importance of nature in business decisions, but now, with mandatory disclosures, companies will have to understand and manage their impact on nature—just like they do with climate.
We see nature tech as a way to close the data gap that’s traditionally hindered investment in nature-positive solutions. By providing the tools to measure and manage nature-related risks, we’re enabling companies to meet these new disclosure requirements. Over time, this will drive massive investment into nature-positive businesses, and we expect nature tech to become just as critical as climate tech.
Helen Dodd:
That’s a great point. Moving on to biodiversity credits, many of our listeners are familiar with carbon credit trading, but biodiversity credit trading is still quite new. Do you think biodiversity credits can be a viable solution for financing nature tech?
Gilad Goren:
Biodiversity credits certainly have potential, but they’re still in the early stages compared to carbon credits. The market is developing, and we’re seeing some promising innovations. However, biodiversity credits won’t be the main source of funding for nature tech. The real opportunity lies in integrating nature’s resilience into core business models.
Companies will eventually realize that investing in nature now will save them from far greater costs down the line, whether from resource scarcity, ecosystem collapse, or regulatory pressure. So, while biodiversity credits can play a part, we believe the majority of funding will come from broader market forces and investment in nature-positive practices.
Helen Dodd:
That makes sense. Now, COP 16, the UN Biodiversity Summit, just wrapped up. What do you think about the finance commitments made there, and are you optimistic about them being delivered?
Gilad Goren:
I think the commitments made at COP 16 are a positive step in the right direction. They show that governments recognize the urgency of addressing nature loss. However, these commitments alone won’t be enough. We still have a huge gap—over a trillion dollars in negative nature investments and less than $200 billion in nature-positive investments.
That said, these pledges will help send a strong signal to the private sector that governments are serious about nature. We’ll likely see more market-driven opportunities, blended finance initiatives, and mechanisms that de-risk investments. The fact that we’re even having this conversation shows significant progress, and I’m cautiously optimistic that we’ll see momentum build over the next few years.
Helen Dodd:
It’s great to hear that optimism. How do you think the rising conversation around nature and biodiversity will impact your work, especially with the political shifts happening globally?
Gilad Goren:
The conversation around nature is really gaining traction, and that’s definitely impacting the work we do at the Nature Tech Collective. As more and more businesses recognize that they can’t ignore their impact on nature, we’re seeing increased demand for the kinds of tools and solutions we’re developing.
At the same time, political shifts and rising nationalism are adding complexity to the landscape, but the growing consensus around the importance of nature means we’ll see more cross-sector collaboration. We’ve got a long way to go, but I believe we’re moving in the right direction.
Helen Dodd:
Thank you so much, Gilad, for sharing your insights today. It’s been a fantastic conversation!
Gilad Goren:
Thank you, Helen. It’s been a pleasure. I’m excited about the future of nature tech and all the opportunities ahead!
