Towards no net loss and beyond – Workshop 2:
Addressing scientific knowledge and environmental information challenges for biodiversity offsetting in the UK
Charles Darwin House, London. 29 September 2010.
Following the workshop on practical challenges for the implementation of biodiversity offsetting in the UK (22 June, 2010), the second workshop in the series brought together scientists as well as representatives of policy and business to identify the scientific and environmental information required in order to effectively implement biodiversity offsetting.
Specific challenges addressed by workshop participants were:
- The implications of environmental change for the longevity of offset credits
- Opportunities and constraints of restoration ecology for the generation of credits
- Data needs and provision
- The contribution of offsetting towards biodiversity and landscape goals
The event involved 37 participants from 29 organisations, including government, regulatory agencies, consultancy, the non-profit sector and academia.
Event documentation
Summary report for policy makers: Addressing scientific knowledge and environmental information challenges for biodiversity offsetting in the UK. (320 KB)
Briefing note (213 KB pdf)
List of references: Biodiversity offsetting in the UK (319 KB pdf)
Programme
Note that presentations are for viewing on the website and may not be copied or circulated. The authors and/or their employers retain copyright.
Introduction
- Introduction to the day
Bruce Howard, NCI - Introduction from the Chair
Ken Norris, University of Reading - Introduction to biodiversity offsetting: overview and policy context
Andrew Dodd, Head of Site Conservation Policy, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Session 1 – Topic Introductions
- Restoration ecology (Opportunities and constraints for the generation of offset credits)
Prof. James Bullock, NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology - Climate impacts – what are the risks for offsetting projects? (The implications of environmental change for the longevity of offset credits)
Dr. Mike Morecroft, Natural England - Landscape delivery (do we have enough offsetting sites?)
Dr. Nicola McHugh, Oxford Brookes University - Offsetting What? – The Adequacy of Biological Data Records (Data needs and provision)
Dr. Peter Carey, National Biodiversity Network
Session 2 – Discussion Groups
- Group 1 Data needs and provision
Led by Jo Treweek, Treweek Environmental Consultants - Group 2 The impacts of climate change
Led by Dr. Pam Berry, University of Oxford - Group 3 Restoration ecology
Led by Prof. Rob Marrs, University of Liverpool - Group 4 Landscape delivery
Led by Richard Smithers (International Association of Landscape Ecology, UK)
Plenary feedback and discussion
- Chair’s summary and close
Ken Norris, University of Reading
Financial support
Biodiversity Offsetting Workshops 2 and 3 were supported by the Connect A funding scheme of the Natural Environment Research Council.