Dan Brown, one of Skjander’s founding partners, brings experience across agriculture, financial markets, and regulated environmental schemes. He shares why biodiversity markets are investable today, and how Skjander applies data, discipline, and regulatory rigour to natural capital investing.

Biodiversity markets have gained attention in recent years, but they are far from new. We examine two of the world’s earliest and most established biodiversity markets — the United States’ Mitigation Banking system and the NSW Biodiversity Offset Scheme — and compare their key characteristics with a focus on what these market structures mean for private capital, investment opportunity, and potential returns.

Carbon markets have scaled quickly, becoming a billion dollar gateway into natural capital for many investors. But climate and nature are not the same thing. Carbon credits targets emissions, while biodiversity credits speak to ecosystem resilience — the foundation of agriculture, supply chains, real assets and insurance. As the world recognises the scale of biodiversity loss, a new asset class is emerging.

As biodiversity transitions from policy to portfolios, investors are finding real entry points into this growing market. With new frameworks, asset types and capital flows emerging, we unpack five pathways shaping how investors can allocate to biodiversity today.

Dr Liz Heagney knows what it takes to turn complex ecology into clear, investable insight. After more than a decade shaping biodiversity policy, research and investment (rom billion-dollar programs to one of the world’s largest natural capital studies) she now leads analytics and portfolio at Skjander. We sat down with her to explore how science and strategy come together to build credible nature markets.

Institutional investors have embraced carbon as an asset class. Now biodiversity is stepping into view - and with it, an opportunity to diversify, protect value, and deliver measurable impact. For investors looking beyond short-term market cycles, biodiversity is no longer peripheral, it’s becoming essential.

Amid market volatility, nature offers something rare: true diversification. As macroeconomic uncertainty persists and climate-linked risks escalate, institutional investors are looking for new ways to balance their portfolios. Nature-based assets are emerging as a compelling opportunity - offering not only climate and biodiversity benefits, but also return profiles distinct from traditional markets.

As biodiversity markets take shape and nature impact becomes a firm part of the climate and sustainability agenda, companies need practical ways to align with nature positive goals. Our recent event in Sydney provides one example: making events nature positive.

With policy, science, and finance increasingly aligning, new biodiversity markets are taking shape — and institutional capital is starting to move. This article unpacks the drivers behind the shift and why now is a pivotal moment to invest in nature.