10086990RestoreDNA: Development of scalable eDNA-based solutions for biodiversity regulators and nature-related disclosureClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKBusinesses are more dependent on nature than previously thought, with ~$44trillion$ of economic value generation moderately or highly dependent on nature[World Economic Forum,2020]. >50% of bank activity in emerging markets directly depends on nature [Calice,et. al.(2023)]. Biodiversity loss is also recognised by the world's central banks as a source of systemic risk. Consequently, regulators increasingly expect industries to manage nature-related impacts and risks. >190 countries, including the UK and Switzerland, have committed to the goals and targets under the Global Biodiversity Framework[GBF]. Globally, GBF and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures[TNFD] are bringing reporting and disclosure of business dependencies on nature and impacts to the forefront. However, scalable provision of reliable biodiversity data to fulfil the requirements for nature disclosure are still lacking. Current methods for measuring biodiversity are often simplistic, focusing on a single component of biodiversity, not-scalable, relying on large scale manual data collection and costly. Digital biodiversity indicators are continuously developed to measure and monitor pressures or threats, but these remain not ground-truthed. In the UK, several initiatives are working towards the development of simple decision-ready metrics (e.g., JNCC, Defra, CEH), but these are not available to industry at the scales required and remain strongly reliant on field data. Consequently, commercial instruments to provide biodiversity data and monitoring across industries, at reportable spatial and temporal scales, and able to adapt to upcoming frameworks for nature disclosure and underpin nature-positive impacts are yet inexistent. NatureMetrics [UK-SME] and Restor [Swiss-Start-up] in close collaboration with ETH Zurich [Swiss-RO] and Rothamsted Research [UK-RO] join forces to go beyond ground-truthing. Combining our synergic technologies, we will develop and commercialise robust and scalable methods and metrics applicable at managerial time-scales. NatureMetrics [NM] is a world-leading innovator on biodiversity performance monitoring using environmental DNA (eDNA) and Earth Observation. The team at ETH-Z have created SEED, a platform for the conservation and restoration of nature, Restor, and co-founded the Global Forest and Soil Biodiversity Initiatives. Rothamsted Research [RR] works to achieve economically and environmentally sustainable farming practices.