Algonquin Provincial Park © Missy Mandel
About
Since 2013, we have been leading research and facilitating discussions on conservation offsetting in Ontario among decision-makers, members of Indigenous communities and diverse stakeholders.
Conservation offsetting is intended to compensate for the negative impacts of development on biodiversity through positive actions (e.g., habitat restoration, creation or enhancement) that produce a benefit of an equal or greater magnitude. Offsets may be undertaken voluntarily or may be mandated by a regulator, law or policy.
Beaver River, Uxbridge © Sean Marshall
Controversy
The topic has drawn both positive and negative interest across sectors.
On one hand, there is recognition that offsetting represents an opportunity to achieve important conservation gains by integrating the true environmental and social costs of biodiversity loss into development decisions.
On the other, if offsetting is poorly conceived, implemented or enforced, it will undermine existing protections and lead to further loss.
Oak Ridges Moraine © Isabel Veldhuis care of EcoSpark
What we are doing
Our goal is to ensure that as conservation offsetting moves forward in Ontario it truly benefits the natural world and affected communities. We aim to enhance our collective understanding of both the risks and the benefits so that these can be accounted for in conservation offsetting projects and policy.
To this end, we’ve created online resources to equip readers with the knowledge and tools needed to engage on wetland conservation and offsetting in their local communities:
North Gwillimbury wetland © Tim Hagen