#WorldEnvironmentDay: The cost of extinction - new tech calculates financial fallout of biodiversity loss

Image source: willyambradberry – 123RF.com

Developed by Estonia-based “tech for good” company Endangered Wildlife OÜ, the Biodiversity Valuator is a cutting-edge software tool that calculates the financial value of species and ecosystems — from apex predators to pollinators. The platform, backed by AI and credible scientific data, gives governments, corporates, and investors the ability to measure nature’s real-world value in rands and dollars.

“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 just about carbon

While carbon credits and emissions targets dominate today’s environmental headlines, biodiversity loss has remained a vague and often invisible issue. But that’s changing fast, especially as ESG and nature-related financial disclosures become global regulatory expectations.

Gavron adds: “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.”

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Shark disappearance comes at a cost

To show how it works, 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 R4.3bn ($241m) in lost ecological and economic value.

Key findings included:

• 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 (and dollars).
  
• 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 already being used by companies like Bwildi, a conservation-focused expedition company connecting donors to high-impact wildlife projects — from elephant collaring to rare species discovery. By partnering with Endangered Wildlife OÜ, they provide guests with personal biodiversity impact reports, quantifying the ecological value of their support.

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One collared lion, for instance, contributes an estimated $1.4m in ecosystem services. These trips aren't just bucket-list experiences — they're legacy investments.

“When people can see the value of their contribution in black and white, it changes everything,” says Gavron.

As the world faces a looming biodiversity crisis, tools like the Biodiversity Valuator bring us closer to understanding the true cost of doing nothing — and the value of investing in nature.

Because in an age of extinction, nature might just be our most powerful currency.