The OECD has held a workshop on biodiversity offsets on 6–7 November 2013 at the OECD Headquarters. The workshop examined the technical and analytical issues related to their effective design and implementation with an aim to derive insights on and examples of good practice.
The workshop brought together government, the private sector, IGO’s, NGO’s, and other experts and practitioners, so as to exchange experience and lessons learned on the key opportunities and challenges associated with biodiversity offset schemes.
The workshop is very well documented and you can access the Agenda, Powerpoint presentations and Participants list. For an overview see the full list of sessions, speakers and presentations below.
Powerpoint presentations: OECD workshop on Biodiversity Offsets, 6–7 November 2013
Opening session
- Biodiversity offsets: an introduction. Katia Karousakis, OECD Environment Directorate.
Session 1: Economics and principles of biodiversity offset schemes
- The economics of biodiversity offsets. Frank Wätzold, Brandenburg University of Technology.
- Principles, standards, the mitigation hierarchy and no net loss. Sebastian Winkler, Forest Trends.
- The role of the agricultural sector in biodiversity offsetting. Jussi Lankoski, OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate.
Session 2: Key design and implementation features of biodiversity offset schemes
- Evaluating equivalence in biodiversity offset schemes. Andrew O’Keefe, OECD Environment Directorate.
- Biodiversity offsets — Additionality, timing, permanence and leakage. Matt Rayment, ICF GHK.
- Biodiversity offsets — Monitoring, reporting, verification, compliance and enforcement. Fabien Quétier, Biotope.
Session 3: Insights from the government sector
- Australian Government environmental offsets policy. Mark Flanigan, Australian Department of the Environment.
- Offsetting impacts to wetlands and waters in the United States. Palmer Hough, US Environmental Protection Agency.
- Biodiversity offsets in France. Noémie Courtejoie, French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy.
- Progress of eco-compensation in China. Liu Guihuan, Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning.
Session 4: Insights from the private sector
- Biodiversity offsets: A conservation mechanism for the private sector. Matthew Bateson, Rio Tinto.
- Biodiversity offsets: Challenges and opportunities. Sachin Kapila, Shell, London, UK.
- Government policy opportunities and challenges for private sector offsets. Jez Bird, The Biodiversity Consultancy.
Session 5: Roundtable discussion on lessons learned and the way forward
- Biodiversity Offsets and Habitat banking. Ute Ojowski, Schleswig-Holstein State Foundation for Nature Conservation, Germany.