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Biodiversity is the result of millions of years of evolution and biological optimization leading to the intricate web of interconnected species of plants, animals and beyond forming the fabric of life on earth as we know it and forming the most valuable asset in our known universe. Humans, once living in symbiosis in this web of species, emancipated themself through cognitive enhancement and tool use from their origins in the animal realm to become a parasitic species living on nature’s back and consuming its resources until a point of no return. In biology, uncontrolled cell growth that harms its host is called cancer—thriving at the expense of its environment, unaware that in doing so, it seals its own fate.
Changes in land and sea use, resource overuse, pollution, the spread of invasive species, and the threat of climate change are driving biodiversity loss and the rapid degradation of ecosystems. Without a comprehensive response, our unsustainable exploitation of nature may threaten the foundations of our economies, health, and overall existence.
Population of vertebrate species have declined by 60% since 1970.
85% of wetlands have been lost.
33% of the world’s topsoil has been degraded.
Population of freshwater species have declined by 83% since 1970.
50% of the world’s coral reef system has been destroyed.
32% of the world’s forest area has been destroyed.
Nature as THE Asset
It is difficult to put a price on life, but its value is far from zero. To address the biodiversity crisis, we must urgently recognize nature as the bedrock of our economies—before the cost of inaction forces us to grasp what we have already lost. Beyond simply acknowledging nature’s role, we need to evolve our economic frameworks to reflect its true worth.
At Fondation Valery, we advocate for a "nature as an asset" approach, where valuation adapts alongside our ability to measure impact—just as we have done for other intangible aspects of society. Since we cannot protect what we cannot measure, we must develop data-driven methodologies to track the consequences of our actions on nature at scale. Just as medicine evolved into a data-driven science to improve survival rates, we must apply the same rigor to our ailing planet—diagnosing the damage and delivering the right treatments to ensure its long-term survival. The future of our economies, societies, and well-being depends on it.
