We, the undersigned, express our grave concerns about biodiversity crediting, offsetting, and related trading schemes.
They are the wrong answer to the wrong question, have no environmental integrity, will lead to the displacement of populations, undermine food systems, create conflicts over land use and tenure rights, in order to enable elites especially in the Global North to continue destroying ecosystems, while pretending to offset in the Global South.
We call on governments, multilateral bodies, conservation organizations and other actors to stop the promotion, development and use of biodiversity offsetting and crediting schemes, in particular in the context of COP16.
Instead, we call on them to prioritize transformational change in tackling the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, including: promoting effective regulation of harmful corporate activity; recognizing and respecting, protecting and promoting the right to land of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, small-scale food producers and women; stopping financial flows and investments that are harmful to biodiversity and peoples; removing harmful government subsidies; changing production and consumption patterns, especially of the rich; supporting a just transition, including the transformation of food systems toward agroecology; ensuring funds flow directly and fairly to Indigenous Peoples, local communities, small-scale food producers, women and youth for community-led approaches; pursuing effective and equitable means of conservation; and taking immediate steps to phase down the supply and use of fossil fuels.
Link to the statement and signatories: https://www.biodmarketwatch.info/