Course description



 The state of the world’s ecosystems has recently been assessed in detail by an international team of experts under the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment – MEA (2005), which concluded that “Human actions are fundamentally, and to a significant extent irreversibly changing the diversity of life on Earth, and most of these changes represent a loss of biodiversity. The MEA (2005) notes that such biodiversity targets and the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) can only be achieved if the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity becomes an integral component of sectoral economic development.

Impact assessment is widely recognized as a ‘mainstreaming tool’ with potential to improve the integration of biodiversity considerations with development and planning in all sectors of society. It is used to identify possible adverse effects on biodiversity and then to recommend ways to avoid, reduce or compensate for these effects. The extent of global decline in biodiversity means that risks of irreversible damage and loss are increasing. Effective mitigation is an essential minimum requirement.

Knowledge of different mitigation strategies and approaches can help ensure that development is based on ‘positive planning for biodiversity’ which will help to maintain it in order to help developers manage their risks and liabilities, as well as to ensure high standards of environmental management and contribute to as the basis for meeting the MDGs. Many innovative approaches to biodiversity mitigation have been developed by businesses operating in sensitive environments, particularly in the minerals and mining sector. These include biodiversity offsets and related market-based instruments to achieve ‘no net loss’ or ‘net positive gain’ of biodiversity.

Evidence is mounting that best practice in biodiversity management can be a significant financial benefit to companies and their investors. The business case for best practice management of biodiversity is likely to become even stronger over time, and standards more stringent. There is a growing need to share experiences of how biodiversity can be incorporated with business policies and decisions. There is also a need to demonstrate the economic benefits of adopting ‘conservation financing’ for overcoming the risks associated with impacts on biodiversity. Mainstreaming of biodiversity into development practice through offsets is an emerging voluntary management tool for ensuring significant conservation outcomes.