The Extinction Solutions Index (ESI): A framework to measure solution efficiency to address biodiversity loss

Abstract

Abstract The field of conservation science has been described as a crisis‐ and solutions‐oriented discipline, with roots as a problem‐solving field. Despite this vision, current conservation research focuses on identifying and prioritizing high‐risk species and regions rather than urgently solving the causes of biodiversity loss. While understanding human impacts on biodiversity and documenting the decline and rarity of species has been the basis of conservation science and is necessary, it is not sufficient to achieve global conservation targets nor match the speed and scale of current biodiversity loss. Rather, conservation science must shift to a multidisciplinary approach that identifies and quantitatively evaluates high‐impact solutions, providing evidence for which interventions will yield maximum benefits at scale. Adjacent sectors, like climate and international development, have created successful frameworks for ranking and evaluating solutions that conservation can incorporate and build upon. This perspective introduces the Extinction Solutions Index (ESI), a framework designed to evaluate, compare and rank the most effective and efficient solutions to the biodiversity crisis. Inspired by Project Drawdown for climate solutions, the ESI aims to identify solutions across sectors and at different scopes of societal intervention—including those upstream of direct harm—and prioritize those with the highest‐impact on the extinction crisis. Solution. This approach can (1) identify the universe of interventions in myriad sectors of society and the economy that can curtail the threats leading to extinction, (2) develop a quantitative method to identify the highest‐impact solutions to address biodiversity loss and (3) create a ranking architecture that integrates factors such as return on investment of solutions. The outcomes of the ESI will enable organizations, governments, businesses and funders to focus resources, activities and investment on the most impactful, scalable solutions.