This collective document answers some of the most important questions regarding biodiversity offsets and credits, from what they are to why they are deeply problematic as tools for biodiversity protection. These approaches fundamentally misunderstand the uniqueness and complexity of ecosystems, making the idea of substituting one ecosystem for another scientifically unsound and ethically questionable.
The report warns that biodiversity credits are likely to be used almost entirely for offsetting rather than voluntary conservation, echoing the failures of carbon markets. It also highlights that these markets benefit corporations, banks, and intermediaries while providing little benefit to local communities or Indigenous Peoples, and can lead to land grabbing, displacement, and conflicts over tenure rights.
The FAQs critique the technical flaws of offset and credit systems while calling for alternative solutions that avoid the commodification of nature, like redirecting harmful subsidies, enforcing strong environmental regulations, and prioritizing grants and direct funding for Indigenous Peoples and community-led conservation initiatives.