Biodiversity Offset Implementation Handbook

By BBOP

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The success of a biodiversity offset will depend on ensuring that an effective institutional and management structure is in place; that financial flows are sufficient; and that systems are in place to ensure that the offset objectives are achieved. This Handbook assumes that the nature of offsetting activities and magnitude and location of the offset (in a single location, or as a composite) have already been identified and the planner is now seeking to put in place the mechanisms for implementation, permanence and good governance. It offers a discussion of the potential roles and responsibilities of potential stakeholders, legal and institutional aspects of establishing an offset, and how an offset management plan can be developed. Then the Handbook suggests a number of ways in which a biodiversity offset can be financed over the long-term. First, it discusses ways in which to calculate the short and long-term costs of implementing the biodiversity offset, and explores long-term funding mechanisms, such as the establishment of conservation trust funds, and development of non-fund options that explore a diverse array of revenue sources to achieve sustainability. The discussion then turns to how a biodiversity offset can be monitored and evaluated, and the final section helps the offset planner prepare to launch the implementation of the offset.