Making biodiversity count for business - On conservation technology, nature-related risk, and turning ecological data into action

Every business depends on nature, even when those connections are difficult to see. But how can companies understand their impact on biodiversity, identify the ecosystems they rely on, and make better decisions before those systems begin to fail?In this episode of Matters of Consequence, Michael Hanf speaks with Dr. Debbie Saunders, conservation ecologist, technology entrepreneur, and co-founder and CEO of NatureHelm. Debbie has spent more than 25 years working in conservation, threatened-species recovery, and ecological research. She is also the founder of Wildlife Drones, an award-winning technology company that has changed how researchers track endangered and migratory species around the world.Debbie shares how her search for a better way to track migratory birds took her from academic research into engineering and entrepreneurship. What began as a practical response to a conservation challenge eventually became a technology used across several countries and for species ranging from Galápagos finches to Burmese pythons.The conversation then turns to NatureHelm, a biodiversity intelligence platform helping businesses understand, manage, and report on nature-related risks and opportunities. Debbie explains why biodiversity data alone is not enough. Companies also need to understand what that data means, how species support ecosystems, and how those ecosystems connect to supply chains, water, agriculture, raw materials, and long-term business resilience.Michael and Debbie also explore how artificial intelligence can help organisations analyse complex ecological relationships, evaluate different scenarios, and identify the actions likely to create the greatest positive impact. They discuss why companies must move beyond reporting frameworks and high-level metrics toward meaningful action on the ground, and how stronger biodiversity information can help prevent nature-related claims from becoming another form of greenwashing.At the heart of the episode is a broader question about how science, technology, entrepreneurship, and business can work together. Debbie reflects on building multidisciplinary teams, creating technology that people can actually use, and learning that innovation only succeeds when it solves a real problem.Why listen?Learn how a conservation scientist became the founder of two biodiversity technology companies.Understand why every company depends on ecosystems, regardless of its industry or location.Explore how NatureHelm turns complex biodiversity data into practical business intelligence.Discover how AI can support nature-related risk assessment and ecological decision-making.Hear why biodiversity action must move beyond reporting, compliance, and metrics.Learn how regenerative agriculture and land management can strengthen supply-chain resilience.Whether you work in sustainability, biodiversity, agriculture, supply-chain management, technology, investment, research, or corporate strategy, this episode offers a practical look at the relationship between healthy ecosystems and resilient businesses.Originally released as an episode of The Future of Sustainability, Season 1.Keywords: biodiversity, biodiversity intelligence, biodiversity technology, nature-related risk, nature-positive business, NatureHelm, Debbie Saunders, Wildlife Drones, conservation technology, conservation ecology, AI for biodiversity, biodiversity data, ecosystem services, corporate biodiversity, supply-chain resilience, TNFD, regenerative agriculture, migratory species, wildlife tracking, ecological monitoring, biodiversity reporting, greenwashing, sustainable business, business and nature, Matters of Consequence podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.