A Framework for Implementing and Valuing Biodiversity Offsets in Colombia: A Landscape Scale Perspective

Shirley Saenz, Tomas Walschburger, Juan Carlos González, Jorge León, Bruce McKenney and Joseph Kiesecker
Additional contact information
Shirley Saenz: The Nature Conservancy, Calle 67 # 7-84 Piso 3, Bogota 110231, Colombia
Tomas Walschburger: The Nature Conservancy, Calle 67 # 7-84 Piso 3, Bogota 110231, Colombia
Juan Carlos González: The Nature Conservancy, Calle Los Naranjos N44-491 Y Azucenas (Sector Monteserrin), Quito 17-21-1107, Ecuador
Jorge León: The Nature Conservancy, Calle 67 # 7-84 Piso 3, Bogota 110231, Colombia
Bruce McKenney: The Nature Conservancy, 490 Westfield Road, Charlottesville, VA 22901, USA
Joseph Kiesecker: The Nature Conservancy, 117 East Mountain Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80524, USA

Sustainability, 2013, vol. 5, issue 12, 1-27

Abstract: Biodiversity offsets provide a mechanism for maintaining or enhancing environmental values in situations where development is sought, despite negative environmental impacts. They seek to ensure that unavoidable deleterious environmental impacts of development are balanced by environmental gains. When onsite impacts warrant the use of offsets there is often little attention paid to make sure that the location of offset sites provides the greatest conservation benefit, ensuring they are consistent with landscape level conservation goals. In most offset frameworks it is difficult for developers to proactively know the offset requirements they will need to implement. Here we propose a framework to address these needs. We propose a series of rules for selecting offset sites that meet the conservation needs of potentially impacted biological targets. We then discuss an accounting approach that seeks to support offset ratio determinations based on a structured and transparent approach. To demonstrate the approach, we present a framework developed in partnership with the Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development to reform existing mitigation regulatory processes.

Keywords: biodiversity offsets; compensatory mitigation; landscape scale mitigation; mitigation hierarchy; sustainable development goals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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