There are several strategies that provide the necessary tools to preserve the balance of ecosystems such as the so-called Biodiversity Offsetting, a mechanism through which we try to compensate the loss of biodiversity caused by human actions with actions in favor of nature. Ludovico G. Conti, PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Peter Seele, in his two recent articles “Buying Biodiversity? An Overview of Offsetting”, published in the Bollettino della Società Ticinese di Scienze Naturali, and “Upsetting Offsetting? Nathan the Wise's ring parable and three reasons why not to adopt the carbon offsetting logic to biodiversity”, published in the prestigious scientific journal AMBIO, delves into this very topic.
Globally, several biodiversity offset schemes have emerged that address ecosystem degradation, particularly those related to development projects that have an environmental impact. Market-based mechanisms have been developed to provide more ecologically and economically efficient solutions. These mechanisms operate through the purchase of so-called “habitat credits” that provide conservation actions in locations other than those where the environmental impact occurs.
Can you briefly explain what “biodiveristy offsetting” is and how it developed?
«Biodiversity offsetting is an economic tool that aims to conserve and protect biodiversity. It is intended as a last resort after attempts to avoid, minimize, and restore environmental damage. The idea behind this tool is simple: damage to biodiversity caused by anthropogenic (i.e. human-generated) actions, mainly infrastructural and urban development, can be offset with interventions that benefit biodiversity. Explained in mathematical terms, the idea is that a unit of biodiversity destroyed can be offset by the creation of a new unit. The ultimate goal is that there is no net loss of biodiversity and, preferably, even net gains.
In short: the concept of offsetting developed in the late 1972s, in conjunction with the growing ecological awareness in the American political landscape. However, it was only in the early 1987s, with the Ramsar Convention (Iran, XNUMX), that this instrument began to be discussed at an international level. Its adoption then gained momentum towards the end of the XNUMXs, thanks to significant documents such as the Brundtland Report (XNUMX) and the visibility given to it by international organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and became particularly relevant at the beginning of the new millennium, when the United Nations introduced the concept of “ecosystem service”».
What is the relationship between biodiversity offsetting and so-called carbon offsetting?
«Although both tools use an accounting logic, in a recent article published in AMBIO, Prof. Seele and I argued that transposing the compensatory logic of carbon offsetting to biodiversity offsetting is problematic. This is because, while carbon offsetting can be independent of the location of its production, the same cannot be said for biodiversity and biodiversity loss, which are geolocalized problems: a Swiss Alpine ecosystem is different from one in the Amazon. Therefore, the article explains how exchanging one ecosystem for another is complex and ethically questionable».
What are the potential risks of using biodiversity offsets?
«The risks can be of two types: practical and ethical. From a practical point of view, the specialized literature has highlighted problems such as the lack of monitoring of the development of compensation projects and difficulties, due to the lack of shared standards, in evaluating the effectiveness of the projects. From an ethical point of view, however, one of the problems consists in the spatial and temporal assignment of advantages and disadvantages that are produced by compensation projects. Let me explain better: imagine that the forest behind the house is cut down to make room for a new shopping center and that, by law, the entrepreneur must minimize his impact on the ecosystem with a compensation in favor of biodiversity. Now, if the entrepreneur decides, for economic reasons, to replant the destroyed forest in another country, the benefits of the compensation (i.e., the new forest) would benefit these inhabitants and not those who suffered the environmental damage. But, let's also suppose that the entrepreneur decides to (or must) replant the trees near the ecosystem that he destroyed. Here too there is a gap, this time in time, between those who receive the benefits of compensation and those who suffer the damage. In fact, only future generations would see a forest as luxuriant as the one that was cut down. These two examples highlight how the practice of biodiversity compensation has serious ethical implications that need to be explored before being used».
Can we talk about biodiversity washing?
«Yes, it is a possibility, and increasingly present. To explain why, however, it is first necessary to clarify what is meant by biodiversity washing. Biodiversity washing (a concept still in its infancy from an academic point of view) originates from the better-known notion of greenwashing, or the communication practice that aims to promote a misleading image of eco-sustainability that does not actually correspond to the facts. Similarly, biodiversity washing is the discrepancy between 'saying' and 'doing' in favor of biodiversity».
So why is there a risk of biodiversity washing?
«Because, due to the technical problems that have been found, such as the impossibility of monitoring the effectiveness of the projects, there is the possibility that some companies (voluntarily or involuntarily) use and advertise the use of the practice of offsetting without actually offsetting the damages they cause. This creates a discrepancy between what is said and what is done. Although this eventuality is still limited, the recent Verra scandal that has hit the world of carbon offsetting (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/18/revealed-forest-carbon-offsets-biggest-provider-worthless-verra-aoe) highlights how the problem of 'ghost' offsets is real and needs to be solved not only for the most famous carbon offsetting, but also for biodiversity offsetting».
What does your study focus on? What is the goal of your research?
«My theoretical research focuses on the ethical analysis of the practice of biodiversity offsetting: the question I try to answer is not how this tool should be used, but whether it should and can be used. Starting from premises of feasibility accepted and shared by supporters of the practice of biodiveristy offsetting, I ask myself whether there is something intrinsically wrong – from an ethical point of view – in this practice. Answering this question involves questioning the complex relationship between man and nature».
Although he dedicates himself to theoretical research, his commitment to the fight against the climate crisis is not limited to his doctorate; in fact, he is also the president of a young environmental association in Ticino. Can you tell us about it?
"Gladly! It all started from a discussion between friends and a simple observation: although many talk about climate change, few really know what it is, what the causes and consequences are. We therefore decided to try to fill this gap, especially among the youngest and our peers, because - although we did not cause the crisis we are experiencing - we are already suffering the consequences. So, in November 2022, with four friends, we founded IAMCLIMATE, an environmental association active at a local level that is committed to the scientific dissemination of the climate crisis. The main project is Ecoligia: a traveling suitcase containing a travel diary and educational material designed to provide teachers with various supports to explain to elementary school children the complex issue of the environmental crisis and its consequences on our territory. The material provided, such as games and stories, supports the teacher's teaching activity in explaining climate change in simple terms. This local project won the prestigious international Arge Alp 2022 award (grassroots section) and to date has already “traveled” to eight Ticino school locations, achieving great success among young students as emerges from the Ecoligia diary».
