Ekos and Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari have completed an international biodiversity credit transaction with a European hotel, marking a milestone for New Zealand’s nature markets and growing demand for high-integrity conservation outcomes.
Media Release
11 May 2026
EKOS INTERNATIONAL TRADING IN BIODIVERSITY CREDITS
Ekos and Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari have recently completed a biodiversity credit transaction with Polish hotel Stradonia, traded via ClimateTrade, an international nature markets platform based in Europe.
Ekos CEO said the deal marks an important milestone in the maturation of New Zealand’s biodiversity markets, noting that international trades only occur where credits demonstrate high integrity. “That integrity depends on robust measurement, reporting and third-party verification,” he said.
Weaver added that biodiversity credits do not commodify nature itself, but rather the human effort and technology required to restore and protect it. With the global biodiversity financing gap estimated at around US$800 billion annually—well beyond the capacity of taxpayers, philanthropy and volunteers—he said market-based tools are essential.
Ekos is a pioneer in biodiversity markets through its BioCredita programme, which has been trading since 2022. BioCredita is the first—and so far only—biodiversity credit programme globally to be third-party validated against the High-Level Principles of the Biodiversity Credit Alliance, World Economic Forum and International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits. It was recently ranked fourth worldwide by Bloomlabs for biodiversity credit sales volumes.
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari CEO Helen Hughes welcomed the international trade, saying it builds on regular domestic transactions since 2022 and supports her ambition to attract global finance. “New Zealand is a global biodiversity hotspot, and our sanctuary is the largest mainland island in the country. We are breeding so many kiwi that we are exporting them to help restore populations elsewhere in the country, including Capital Kiwi,” she said.
The BioCredita programme is underpinned by a blockchain-based digital registry developed by Ekos and Danish technology company Trusticate. Weaver said robust registry systems are critical for transparency and preventing double counting and double selling.
The Ekos BioCredita programme now has around 15 projects in the pipeline across New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Australia, the United States, Mongolia and Uganda. Weaver also emphasised that biodiversity markets must be demand-led, calling on government to help stimulate demand if it is serious about growing a domestic nature market.
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More information:
Sean Weaver, CEO Ekos: 027 3563601
Helen Hughes, CEO Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari: 027 3690008
