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Marianne Darbi, IÖR Dresden TOP Biodiversity Conference, 3-4 June 2010, Larnaca

Biodiversity Offsets A tool for Environmental Management and Biodiversity Conservation. Marianne Darbi, IÖR Dresden TOP Biodiversity Conference, 3-4 June 2010, Larnaca. 1/27. Outline. Background Characteristics of Biodiversity Offsets Kinds of Biodiversity Offsets a) Mandatory

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Marianne Darbi, IÖR Dresden TOP Biodiversity Conference, 3-4 June 2010, Larnaca

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  1. Biodiversity Offsets A tool for Environmental Management and Biodiversity Conservation Marianne Darbi, IÖR Dresden TOP Biodiversity Conference, 3-4 June 2010, Larnaca 1/27

  2. Outline Background Characteristics of Biodiversity Offsets Kinds of Biodiversity Offsets a) Mandatory b) Voluntary Criticism Potentials Conclusion 2/27

  3. 1. Background 3/27

  4. Driving Forces for ongoing Biodiversity Loss • Land Use Change and Land Take • Urban sprawl and settlement • Intensification of agriculture and abandonment of traditional land management forms • Infrastructure • Emission of pollutants e.g. increased use of pesticides and fertilizers • Overexploitation: • Tourism • Forestry • Fisheries • Invasive Species • Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emission 4/27

  5. Need to restore Biodiversity • blabla Global Biodiversity Outlook 2006: • Increasing pressure on Species and Habitats • Biodiversity Loss Value of Biodiversity for Human Wellbeing: • Economy and Society depend on nature and landscape • Mankind depends on products and services that Biodiversity provides Beside conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity RESTORATION is a key principle to stop biodiversity decline. 5/27

  6. 2. Characteristics of Biodiversity Offsets 6/27

  7. What are Biodiversity Offsets? Polluter pays principle “Biodiversity Offsets are conservation activities intended to compensate for the residual, unavoidable harm to biodiversity caused by development projects”ten Kate et al. 2004 “Biodiversity offsets seek to ensure that unavoidable adverse environmental impacts of development are counterbalanced by environmental gains”Escorcio Bezerra 2006 Biodiversity = Variety of species and ecosystems as well as genetic diversity 7/27

  8. Mitigation Hierarchy Follow subsequent steps: • Step 1: avoid or prevent negative impacts on biodiversity • Step 2: address unavoidable impacts through minimization and rehabilitation measures • Step 3: establish compensation measures („Biodiversity Offsets“) as a last resort for residual adverse impacts: restitution or compensation payment 8/27

  9. Functional and Spatial Equivalence spatial characteristics: On-Site Compensation Off-Site Compensation functional characteristics: In- Kind Compensation Out of- Kind Compensation 9/27

  10. Timing and Aggregated Offsets Problem of Time Lag: • Aggregated Offsets: provision or concentration of compensation areas and measures Problem of Sustainability • Monitoring and Follow Up to assure the effectiveness and long-term success of Biodiversity Offsets Residual Impact Full Compensation Impact Restoration 10/27

  11. 3. Kinds of Biodiversity Offsets 11/27

  12. Mandatory Biodiversity Offsets Environmental Impact Assessment German Impact Mitigation Regulation US Wetland Mitigation Banking 12/27

  13. German Impact Mitigation Regulation Impact Mitigation Regulation (“Eingriffsregelung”) is the major landscape conservation instrument to address mitigation and compensation for impacts from developments and projects in Germany: entered into force as part of the Federal Nature Conservation Act 1976 comprehensive approach (for all impacts, on all scales, not restricted to specific areas) 2002 and 2009 amendments to the Federal Nature Conservation Act: loosening of spatial and functional connection between impact and compensation compensation pools: provision and bundling of compensation sites and measures 13/27

  14. Voluntary Biodiversity Offsets In contrast to Mandatory Biodiversity Offsets, Voluntary Biodiversity Offsets are implemented without prior obligation, in response to the growing public pressure on corporations and governments to demonstrate that they are addressing the environmental impacts of their activities. 14/27

  15. The business case for Biodiversity Offsets 15/27

  16. Business and Biodiversity Offset Program • Partnership of: companies, scientists, NGOs, government agencies, research institutes and financial institutions • Focus on: compensation for impacts on biodiversity • Aim to: mainstream concept of „No Net Loss“ of biodiversity into development projects • Results of Phase 1 (2004-2009): Biodiversity Offset handbooks • Website: http://bbop.forest-trends.org 16/27

  17. 4. Criticism of Biodiversity Offsets 17/27

  18. License to trash When is an offset appropriate? • Distinguish between offsettable and not offsettable impacts • Criteria: irreplaceability, vulnerability etc. • Need to define thresholds 18/27

  19. Comparing apples and oranges How to ensure equivalence between impact and offset? • Problem to measure and value biodiversity • Different „currencies“ • Indirect and cumulative impacts • Multitude of existing evaluation and balancing methods 19/27

  20. How long lasts perpetuity? • Duration of impacts vs. Duration of offsets • Short and long-term impacts • Temporary and permanent impacts • Criteria: reversitbility, feasibility etc. • In practice different timeframes are applied • Biodiversity Offsets should last as long as the impairment persists  need for Follow Up 20/27

  21. Shift of responsibility What are the physical and financial compensation means used for? • Negative use: MERE use for the management and maintenance of existing protected areas • Biodiversity Offsets should not replace Conservation and other obligations of governmental bodies (Nature Conservation Authorities etc.) 21/27

  22. 5. Potentials of Biodiversity Offsets 22/27

  23. Trading up • Preference for „in kind“ offsetting • However sometimes not feasible or not effective • Trading up: substituting a less valuable asset by an asset that is more valuable in terms of either its quality or quantity 23/27

  24. Landscape Level Planning and Green Networks • Small sites can require a disproportionate effort of management and sometimes not prove to be efffective • Landscape and habitat pattern • Advantages of Aggregated Offsets and Banking: Compensation Pools and Mitigation Banks are effective instruments to implement Biodiversity Offsets with a minimum of land consumption, bureaucracy and costs and a maximum of nature conservation value 24/27

  25. 6. Conclusion 25/27

  26. What is the role of Biodiversity Offsets in the future? People/Society Biodiversity Offsets Regulation/Government Business/Market 26/27

  27. Thank you for your attention! What would you do with this? And with this? Leibniz Institute of Ecological and Regional Development Marianne Darbi Weberplatz 1 Fon: 0049 351 463 42356 01217 Dresden Fax : 0049 351 4679 212 www.ioer.de E-Mail: M.Darbi@ioer.de 27/27

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