{"id":4932,"date":"2009-08-11T08:46:48","date_gmt":"2009-08-11T08:46:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/planetsave.com\/?p=4932"},"modified":"2009-08-11T08:46:48","modified_gmt":"2009-08-11T08:46:48","slug":"bbop-business-impact-on-biodiversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planetsave.com\/articles\/bbop-business-impact-on-biodiversity\/","title":{"rendered":"BBOP | Jazzing Up Business' Impact On Biodiversity"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/h3>\n

The Business and Biodiversity Offset Program has left me torn: is this a genuine attempt to preserve biodiversity, or just another exercise in corporate greenwashing?<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>[social_buttons]The Business and Biodiversity Offset Program<\/a> is a work in progress.\u00a0 Its name includes that reviled word \u201coffset\u201d, a red flag for many deep greens.
\nHowever, unlike the dreaded carbon offset, this is not a market mechanism which allows industry to greenwash its way through normal operations.<\/p>\n

Instead it\u2019s a recognition that large industrial developments have a huge impact upon sensitive natural environments and can undermine the cultural lifestyle of local populations.<\/p>\n

In order to keep this impact as light as possible the program is developing a set of mechanisms which ensure there is no net loss of biodiversity in the locale and that local communities’ lifestyles are not adversely affected or altered.<\/p>\n

The program has just reached the end of Phase I and has released a flurry of guidance documents and case studies<\/a>, including this excellent overview<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This admits BBOP’s shortcomings, including no consideration for marine ecology, no universally agreed methodology to measure outcomes, and a very narrow spectrum of industries contributing.<\/p>\n

These shortcomings will be addresses in Phase II which aims to deliver broader, deeper and more refined guidelines and documentation by the end of 2011.<\/p>\n

But Are Biodiversity Offsets Helpful?<\/h3>\n

In the meantime I\u2019m left divided over whether this is a truly credible attempt to lighten Man\u2019s heavy handed treatment of natural and human ecology.<\/p>\n

Aspirations such as ensuring \u201cno net loss and preferably a net gain of biodiversity\u201d within a project\u2019s locale seem like a massive step forwards, as does the program\u2019s willingness to address human ecology alongside environmental ecology.<\/p>\n

However, I cannot help but feel uneasy when I see companies from unsustainable industries, such as Shell International and Rio Tinto, driving the project forwards.<\/p>\n

Is such cynicism justified, or is BBOP a genuine and welcome step towards creating an ecologically sustainable society for the 21st Century?<\/p>\n

Or is this a sterile debate and should industry first do no harm instead of continually trying to fix things after the fact?<\/p>\n

Please let me know your thoughts below … with such a new program it will be fascinating to hear what other people think!!<\/p>\n

Picture Credit<\/strong>: Buttress tree roots<\/a> by sly06<\/a> from flickr <\/a>under Creative Commons Attribution License<\/a>.<\/sup><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Business and Biodiversity Offset Program has left me torn: is this a genuine attempt to preserve biodiversity, or just another exercise in corporate greenwashing? [social_buttons]The Business and Biodiversity Offset Program is a work in progress.\u00a0 Its name includes that reviled word \u201coffset\u201d, a red flag for many deep greens. However, unlike the dreaded carbon […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[4616,16454],"spectra_custom_meta":{"social_buttons":["tweetmeme"],"tweet_this_url":["getnew"],"_oembed_c3582a6ee2c1f258cc77c0e6e6af1573":["