biodiversity now!
TRANSCRIPT
Problem
• Biodiversity is destroyed in small steps, piece by piece; – Land use change and fragmentation are globally the most
important drivers of loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Any particular agent causes a negligible change but the sum of all small changes is considerable over time
• In most cases agents need not to worry about their impacts on biodiversity
The damager does not pay (unlike the polluter)!
Challenge
RiskLoss of biodiversity and ecosystem services threaten our wellbeing and ability to adapt to climate change
ChallengeHow to stop the loss of biodiversity and related ecosystem services?
SolutionWe develop new efficient mechanisms to:• Neutralize negative impacts on biodiversity• Turn biodiversity loss to biodiversity improvement
Biodiversity compensations
Loss of biodiversity is compensated by improving biodiversity elsewhere• Balancing development
and biodiversity
Compensation principles• Like for like or “better”• Mitigation hierarchy• Does not hamper existing
efforts
©Aarno Torvinen
Compensations via offsets
Market based solutions
• Demand for offset: agents causing biodiversity loss
• Supply of offsets: landowners and firms (new business opportunities)
• Price of offsets: implements the spoiler pays –principle
Universal solution for all developed countries
What is new?
• Compensation via offsetting– Modern instrument with price
incentives– Invites firms and landowners
to stop biodiversity loss– Allows citizens’ participation
• Creative combination - business, science and policy– Participatory and
experimental science work– Improvement in biodiversity
policies
©Raili Malinen
Call for action
• Citizens and NGOs:– Biodiversity offsetting is also a
contested concept,– Open discourse needed; first
contacts made
• Firms, urban planners– The use of compensation
offsets in business and community planning
• Policy makers– How to incorporate
compensations to the Finnish legislation
©Terhi Ryttäri
Team & Skills
• Markku Ollikainen, prof. – economics• Janne Kotiaho, prof. – ecology, ecosystem restoration• Olli Ojala, senior researcher – nature conservation, policy• Eeva Primmer, group leader – environmental governance• Heli Saarikoski, senior researcher – environmental participation• Tiina Jääskeläinen, researcher – corporate responsibility• Jussi Kauppila, senior researcher – law • Minna Pekkonen, researcher – ecology, nature conservation
Contact us!Markku Ollikainen tel. 0294158065
Olli Ojala tel. 0295251476