As the mining sector ramps up efforts to meet the critical mineral demands needed for decarbonization, the biodiversity crisis is increasing scrutiny on the environmental impact of mining. With the implementation of nature-related regulations at local, government and international levels, mining companies and other stakeholders, such as financial institutions, need the best possible data. Nature Intelligence, innovations in detecting, assessing and tracking nature, are transforming how these stakeholders manage biodiversity risk and decision-making processes.

About Joe Huddart

Dr. Huddart has +15 years of academic and professional ecological experience. After a Masters project investigating food webs in Swedish lakes with Lennart Persson’s group at the University of Umea, he went on to do a PhD at Imperial College London and the Natural History Museum.

His PhD research focused on quantifying ecological responses to river habitat restoration across multiple species groups and used highly resolved empirical data to model food webs. Dr. Huddart collected this data for biodiversity assessment using conventional, standardized and quantitative species surveying methods, requiring significant taxonomic skill and time. Recognizing the nascent power of molecular tools for overcoming these challenges, during his post-doctorate working on the BRIDGE Colombia project with the University of East Anglia and a variety of local Colombian stakeholders, Dr. Huddart transitioned to using molecular methods including eDNA. In collaboration with the Universidad de los Andes and the Humboldt Institute, Dr. Huddart’s research explored in country bioeconomic potential and genomic research capacity.

After his post-doctorate, Dr. Huddart joined NatureMetrics as a business development manager and is now a subject matter expert. NatureMetrics is a service provider that offers end-to-end solution for nature monitoring and impact reporting with offices in Canada and the UK. He now works with stakeholders in the mining sector in the Global North and Global South, advancing the uptake of eDNA in order to improve biodiversity monitoring and reporting to meet reporting requirements such as lenders, regulatory compliance and frameworks such as the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures.
Joe Huddart