Issues Brief
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IUCN Issues Brief on Biodiversity Offsets
There is growing interest by governments and the private sector to look for ways to not only compensate for biodiversity impacts, but achieve a No Net Loss (NNL) and preferably a Net Gain (NG) of biodiversity. This IUCN Issues Brief explores why this is important and what can be done.
Policy
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Global Inventory on Biodiversity Offset Policies
A collaborative project between IUCN and The Biodiversity Consultancy (TBC) to contribute to sustainability, GIBOP is an open access platform on biodiversity offsets that shares the latest information and trends.
The purpose of this policy is to provide a framework to guide the design, implementation and governance of biodiversity offset schemes and projects. It provides guidance as to where offsets are, and are not, an appropriate conservation tool to ensure that, when offset schemes are used, they lead to positive conservation outcomes compared to business as usual and, thus, minimize the risk of negative conservation outcomes. This policy was approved at the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress. Click here to download.
Summary Analysis
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Understanding Government Biodiversity Offset Policies in the Mining Sector
This summary of preliminary analysis of more than 198 countries shows that government policies on biodiversity offsets have doubled in the last 15 years. It also indicates that most mining-dependent and biodiversity-rich countries studied tend to have advanced offset policies.
Technical Studies
Biodiversit
y Offsets Technical Study Paper
This technical study paper is the culmination of the first phase of the development of an IUCN general policy on offsets, and was prepared by the IUCN Biodiversity Offsets Technical Study Group, for consideration in the second phase by the wider working group. Click here to download.
Biodiversity offsets : policy options for governments
Governments, companies, banks and civil society are placing more emphasis on the rigorous application of the mitigation hierarchy to avoid, minimize and compensate for projects' impacts on biodiversity. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the consideration of policy options by the IUCN Technical Study Group on biodiveristy offsets and the subsequent Working Group and to provide information more broadly to governments and their advisors. Click here to download.
Technical conditions for positive outcomes from biodiversity offsets
This report assesses the conditions under which biodiversity offsets may provide the best outcomes for biodiversity and achieve no net loss. It was developed as an input paper to inform the IUCN Technical Study Group on Biodiversity Offsets and is intended as a basic introduction to technical issues related to offsets. Click here to download.
