The current strategy for biodiversity conservation is doomed. Based on a study of evidence-based summaries known as environmental impact assessment reports produced over the past 44 years, we suggest that biodiversity loss has not been halted because of a failure to accurately identify and assess the ecological effects of the drivers of change linked to land use planning. This failure is due to the poor representativeness of biological diversity in the practices of planners and the inadequate involvement of the ecologist community. Researchers in ecology could play a key role in improving the environmental considerations in project designs by focusing on preventive assessments instead of curative solutions.