Putting the Developed Typology of Biodiversity Offsets into Context: Some Conclusions

Abstract

The results of this study are neither exhaustive nor representative. Nevertheless, global tendencies become visible, allowing for some generalized conclusions and recommendations for different locations and contexts, as well as for different stakeholders. For example, diversified roles and responsibilities of government bodies beyond the conventional understanding in terms of regulator and enforcing authority were observed under the different types. This also offers an enormous potential for new forms of private–public partnerships, etc.

Moreover, four trends were identified for the current situation of offset implementation worldwide: (1) dominance of regulatory biodiversity offsets and acceleration of offset-related legislation, (2) increasing cooperative approaches and growing role of NGOs and civil society groups encouraging developers to undertake biodiversity offsets, (3) biodiversity offsets as part of business operations, and (4) emerging lender requirements and standards.

Despite these global tendencies, the typology highlights the context dependency of biodiversity offsets, e.g., regarding differences between offset implementation in the developed and developing world, pristine vs. transformed landscapes, but also different cultural and legal traditions as well as different forms of governance associated with them. Thus, the typology helps to identify and focus on the major characteristics and challenges in a given context.

While building on biodiversity offsets as a practical case, the developed typology could potentially be applied to a variety of environmental (and most likely also social) aspects beyond legal compliance. Thus, the typology could add to the discussion about voluntary environmental approaches and corporate responsibility both in research and in practice.