The Natural History Museum’s Biodiversity Intactness Index is a rigorous approach to estimating biodiversity loss locally, nationally and globally. For COP15, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal, we handed the complex dataset to leading ecological artist Thijs Biersteker who created Econario: a 5-metre-tall robotic plant which grows or withers depending on inputs from the Index. We partnered with UNESCO and LVMH to place the artwork at the heart of the conference centre, reprogramming it daily to reflect the progress made at the negotiation table about the preservation of biodiversity. Not only did Econario bring the Museum’s dataset alive but it became a powerful reminder for decision makers about the impact of their actions.

Professor Andy Purvis, Biodiversity Research Leader, Natural History Museum: “I am blown away by this piece. The numbers around biodiversity loss are cold hard facts, but cold hard facts never grabbed anyone by the heart. With Econario, you feel joy when it grows and you feel pain when it wilts. It has soul. And it really brings home what’s at stake.”