LIFE Biodiv CrEW

Testing Biodiversity Credits in European Wetlands

Healthy ecosystems with a wealth of species are a key part of a well-functioning global economy. But biodiversity is in crisis: Since 1970, the world has experienced a 69 percent decline, on average, in species populations. Approximately one million plant and animal species are currently facing the threat of extinction.

Like the carbon offset market arose in response to the problem of climate change and rising emissions, the biodiversity crisis calls for innovative tools to incentivise the conservation of species and habitats. Biodiversity credits, also known as biodiversity certificates, represent one such tool. One advantage of biodiversity credits: Unlike carbon offsets, which seek to compensate for harmful emission activities, biodiversity credits and certificates aim to reward the successful preservation and restoration of biodiverse ecosystems.

These financial mechanisms are still relatively new, and conservationists, policymakers, land owners and managers, corporations and other stakeholders are in the process of seeking the best way forward. Which models and methods offer the best, most verifiable, scalable and sustainable opportunities for financing biodiversity conservation?

Consortium of experts seeks best practices for financing conservation

With the support of the European Union’s LIFE programme, NABU and its project partners are setting out to select pilot sites and test standards and methods for generating biodiversity credits in European wetlands. As natural biodiversity hotspots, hosting 40 percent of all plant and animal species worldwide, wetlands represent an optimal environment for testing these financial mechanisms.

Additionally, these ecosystems are under severe pressure: Around 80 percent of the European wetlands that existed 100 years ago have been lost. The remaining areas face ongoing threats from agriculture, draining and other forms of development. By setting positive incentives for conservation-oriented land management in wetlands, we can make a real impact for species and their habitats.

The LIFE Biodiv CrEW project consortium includes NABU (project lead, largest German nature conservation NGO), bloomlabs (independent biodiversity credit expert and consultancy), European Landowners’ Organization (ELO) and Eurosite (representing wetland owners and land managers), aeco and Sylva (project developers), and Volkswagen Financial Services (associated partner).

Using the membership networks of Eurosite and ELO will ensure that potential pilot sites are sourced from a large number of European countries. Moreover, NABU owns and manages dozens of wetlands inside and outside of Germany. For example, the NABU Climate Fund has acquired (or is acquiring) hundreds of hectares of peatlands in Latvia, Finland, Sweden, and Germany, and has supported peatland restoration by third parties in England, Ireland, and Belgium. These sites are also available as potential pilot sites for this project.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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