Biodiversity Now!

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)!

©Terhi Ryttäri

©Markus Sirkka

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