About the Biodiversity Offsets Newsweek
If you are interested in environmental compensation and biodiversity offsets, there are certainly good news: there is now a whole bunch of information from different sources, 
locations and viewpoints publicly available (something which wasn’t this easy only a couple of years ago). Now, as has been pointed out (see here) the Biodiversity Offsets Blog aims to compile and somewhat structure this information. But there is not only a wealth of sources already out there on the internet, but also new sources are continuously being added. I am following and collecting the news via Scoop.it and cover the most trending ones in posts on the Biodiversity Offsets Blog. Nevertheless, not all news can be covered (at least not yet) and therefore the “Biodiversity Offsets Newsweek” will list up the headlines of the past week, together with the links and PDFs of the articles or news (the latter to prevent to loose information — as we know, that unfortunately every now and then things are being removed from the internet).
This week: October 6–12, 2014
This week (October 6–12, 2014) the overarching theme — labelled “historic” — was an agreement between Coal of Africa, the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and SANPARKS (National Parks). In addition to the obligatory and quite euphoric media releases (which have been reproduced many times, see below), I did also find a more critical article (Deals this week…, see below). I am sure, biodiversity offsets experts around the world will have a closer look at this and see what it’s all about. The next interesting thing this week for me is a new article by Laitila, Moilanen and Pouzals on “A method for calculating minimum biodiversity offset multipliers” which will definitely add to the discussion on appropriate methodologies for biodiversity offsets. There are some more news from Australia and also some projects in the US entailing biodiversity offsets. Last, but not least, Francis Vorhies writes about his experiences on an interesting conference at the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology in Moscow where he gave a presentation on biodiversity offsets.
Biodiversity offset News from Academia
A method for calculating minimum biodiversity offset multipliers accounting for time discounting, additionality, and permanence, research article, October 9, 2024, by Jussi Laitila, Atte Moilanen and Federico M. Pouzols, Methods in Ecology and EvolutionAccepted Articles, Accepted manuscript online: 9 OCT 2014
New Biodiversity Offsetting agreement in South Africa
Deals this week: Chaparral Gold, CoAL of Africa, Uragold Bay Resources and more, October 10, 2014, by mining technology
Historic Biodiversity Offset Agreement signed by the Department of Environmental Affairs, SANPARKS and Coal of Africa for Vele Colliery, October 8, 2014, by Department of Environmental Affairs (see also here and here)
Media Release: Historic Biodiversity Offset Agreement signed, October 8, 2014, by South African National Parks/ Department of Environmental Affairs — Republic of South Africa / South Africa Government (see also here and here)
Newsweek 6–12 October 2014_Media Release_ Historic Biodiversity Offset Agreement signed
R55m biodiversity offset pact signed, October 9, 2014, by Africa Green Media (see also here and here)
Newsweek 6–12 October 2014_R55m biodiversity offset pact signed
Newsweek 6–12 October 2014_R55m biodiversity offset pact signed _ Africa Green Media
Newsweek 6–12 October 2014_R55m biodiversity offset pact signed_SA news
Historic Biodiversity Offset Agreement signed, October 9, 2014, by SANParks Honorary Rangers
Parties sign Vele colliery biodiversity offset agreement, October 9, 2014, by Anine Vermeulen
Newsweek 6–12 October 2014_Parties sign Vele colliery biodoversity offset agreement
SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL PARKS SIGNS BIODIVERSITY OFFSET AGREEMENT, October 10, 2014, by Nam News Network
Newsweek 6–12 October 2014_SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL PARKS SIGNS BIODIVERSITY OFFSET AGREEMENT
Historic biodiversity offset agreement for the Vele Colliery, October 10, 2014, by Vicky Sidler
Biodiversity offsets in Australia
Move to save bush, October 7, 2014, by Ben Chenoweth
Newsweek 6–12 October 2014_Move to save bush
Political deal between PUP, ALP and Greens senators puts ‘one stop shop’ on the backburner for mining and industry, October 7, 2014, by Babs McHugh
One-stop shop rejection disappoints farmers, October 6, 2014, by Town & Country Magazine
Newsweek 6–12 October 2014_One-stop shop rejection disappoints farmers
Kings Forest conditions watered down, PAC told, October 9, 2014, by Luis Feliu
Newsweek 6–12 October_KingsForest conditions watered down, PAC told
Biodiversity offsets in the US
Xstrata fine for subsidence damage to pay for Sugarloaf improvements, October 9, 2014, by Michelle Harris
Newsweek 6–12 October_Xstrata fine to pay for Sugarloaf improvements
Greens won’t sue to stop gold mine in SC, October 10, 2014, by Sammy Fretwell
Newsweek 6–12 October 2014_Greens won’t sue to stop gold mine in SC
Montana gold mine: ‘A very good neighbor’, October 12, 2014, by Sammy Fretwell
Newsweek 6–12 October 2014_Montana gold mine_ ‘A very good neighbor’
Ongoing biodiversity loss
UN biodiversity report highlights failure to meet conservation targets. Global Biodiversity Outlook 4 paints a damning picture of governments’ efforts to meet a set of targets agreed in 2010, October 6, 2014, by Adam Vaughan
Mangroves being destroyed faster, warns UNEP report, October 9, 2014, by Itrat Bashir
Newsweek 6–12 October 2014_Mangroves being destroyed faster, warns UNEP report
Other biodiversity offsets news
Oil, Gas, Coal, Hydropower & Biodiversity In Russia, October 7, 2014, by Francis Vorhies
Newsweek 6–12 October 2014_Oil, Gas, Coal, Hydropower & Biodiversity In Russia
Benefits of investing in protection of biodiversity outweigh financial costs, says UN-backed report, October 7, 2014, by UN News Centre
Finance and Trade Watch nimmt Stellung zur No Net Loss Initiative der EU, October 7, 2010, by ECA Watch