By invitation only
On 14 January 2026, a closed session titled “Natural Capital in the AI Era” took place in-person in Venice as part of the EIEE Annual Meeting. The session brought together young researchers to explore how advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping the modelling and valuation of biodiversity and natural capital in the context of climate change.
The keynote speakers were Millie Chapman (ETH Zurich) and Ben Groom (University of Exeter), with the session chaired by Valentina Bosetti (Fondazione CMCC). Together, they addressed the growing importance of understanding how climate change affects ecosystems and the vital services they provide to society, and how these impacts can be better captured in economic and integrated assessment models.
The topic is of central relevance for PRISMA, particularly in relation to the modelling of biodiversity in IAMs (Task 5.1), the links between biophysical impacts and (mal)adaptation (Task 5.2), and the integration of economic impacts arising from ecosystem losses (Task 6.1). A key focus of the discussion was how recent advances in AI and machine learning can support more realistic and data-rich representations of biodiversity and natural capital within these modelling frameworks.
Overall, the session provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on emerging research frontiers at the intersection of environmental economics, natural capital, and artificial intelligence, informing and inspiring further model integration efforts within PRISMA.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101081604 – PRISMA. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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