Until now, much of the conversation about climate change has centered on carbon capture, greenhouse-gas emissions, and pollution. Over the past few years, however, nature has come into focus as part of the discussion. While preserving—or even improving—biodiversity in nature is important for meeting ambitious decarbonization goals, the lack of data has hindered progress. Fortunately, data derived from eDNA, or DNA left by species in their habitats, can help tell a complete story and help companies make better decisions on how best to conserve and restore nature.

McKinsey recently spoke with Katie Critchlow, CEO of NatureMetrics, about how eDNA and biodiversity-monitoring technology can help the infrastructure industry behave in more environmentally conscious ways and what global leaders can do to continue their progress toward decarbonization goals.