BBOP Publications Library

How Can a Native Vegetation Offset Policy Contribute to a ‘No Net Loss’ of Native Vegetation Quality and Quantity?

Native vegetation offsets for vegetation loss is a relatively new policy area, although wider environmental offsets, including wetland banking, greenhouse gas and others have been used for the last thirty to forty years. This study sought to investigate how native vegetation offsets can contribute to the goal of ‘no net loss’ of native vegetation quality […]

Faustian bargains?

Restoration realities in the context of biodiversity offset policies

The science and practice of ecological restoration are increasingly being called upon to compensate for the loss of biodiversity values caused by development projects. Biodiversity offsetting—compensating for losses of biodiversity at an impact site by generating ecologically equivalent gains elsewhere—therefore places substantial faith in the ability of restoration to recover lost biodiversity. Furthermore, the increase […]

BIODIVERSITY INDICATORS FOR EXTRACTIVE COMPANIES

AN ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS, CURRENT PRACTICES AND POTENTIAL INDICATOR MODELS

Biodiversity indicators are an essential tool for understanding and managing changes in biodiversity. Efforts by the private sector to develop biodiversity indicators have often focussed on measuring biodiversity management actions rather than measuring on the ground changes in the status of, and pressures on, biodiversity. This is largely due to methodological and data challenges. This […]

Biodiversity Trading: Protecting our Unique Biodiversity

Biodiversity – the array of plants, animals and micro-organisms, the genes they contain and the functions they perform – sustains our ecosystems. The inter-dependence of all the components of biodiversity provides balance and stability to our life support systems.

Assessing the Quality of Native Vegetation: The ‘Habitat Hectares’ Approach

Assessments of the ‘quality’, condition or status of stands of native vegetation or habitat are now commonplace and are often an essential component of ecological studies and planning processes. Even when soundly based upon ecological principles, these assessments are usually highly subjective and involve implicit value judgments. The present paper describes a novel approach to […]

Guidance for the Establishment, Use, and Operation of Conservation Banks

This memorandum is intended to be applied to conservation bank proposals submitted for approval on or after the date of this guidance and to those in early stages of planning or development. It is not intended for the guidance to be retroactive for banks that have already received agency approval. While it is recognized that […]

Biodiversity Offsets – A Briefing Paper for the Mining Industry

Industry faces challenges as a result of its social, economic and environmental footprint. Since the mid 1990s, the mining industry has engaged in dialogue with environmental and social development organisations to determine how to address these challenges. Through this dialogue biodiversity has been identified as a key business and environmental issue. ICMM member companies are […]

The Relationship between Biodiversity Offsets and Impact Assessment

This Resource Paper was prepared by the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Programme (BBOP) to help developers, conservation groups, communities, governments and financial institutions that wish to consider and develop best practice related to biodiversity offsets. It offers information on how to integrate biodiversity offsets with impact assessment, including Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for policies, plans […]

Marianne Darbi & Jorg Voss – Key Lessons from the ‘Burgberg Zschaitz’ Habitat Bank in Saxony

Key lessons from the ‘Burgberg Zschaitz’ habitat bank in Saxony

Mitigation Banking: Securing No Net Loss to Biodiversity?

Environmental advisors and planners are frequently confronted with the issue of ecological mitigation for losses due to development, the uncertainty over whether the proposed compensation is adequate and how the mitigation will function over time. The advantages of acquiring and retaining land in advance for ecological mitigation required by subsequent development has been demonstrated primarily […]