Biodiversity Credit Principles
This is a 3-page synthesis of biodiversity credit principles with a comparison table of principles and governance features of USA, UK and Colombia nature credit markets.
As national delegations and biodiversity conservation advocates gather in Cali, Colombia for the CBD COP in October 2024, the role of biodiversity crediting is a topic of frequent debate and many misconceptions. This synthesis of principles is an effort by a group of likeminded restoration businesses, NGOs, investors, and other thoughtful advocates to define a set of core principles and practices to improve the effectiveness of biodiversity investment, help credit-supplying businesses grow to meet demand, and to inform participation in global discussions and policy development around regulatory, disclosure-related, and purely voluntary biodiversity credits.
The organizations participating in this High Quality Nature Working Group advocate for additionality and durability, transparency of crediting protocols, use of registries and project ledgers, and assurance that benefits of investment in biodiversity credits are shared with landowners, local communities and indigenous peoples. All of these principles are very much a part of all biodiversity, water, or carbon crediting discussions today.
However, we also agree that the following principles and features must become more widespread requirements of all biodiversity credit markets. These principles and features of crediting systems are mostly learned from regulatory programs but their value to buyers, sellers and nature is universal.
The principles are an effort by a group of likeminded restoration businesses, NGOs, investors, and other thoughtful advocates to define a set of core principles and practices to improve the effectiveness of biodiversity investment, help credit-supplying businesses grow to meet demand, and to inform participation in global discussions and policy development around regulatory, disclosure-related, and purely voluntary biodiversity credits.
The synthesis is an appendix in the full report, “Building a Thriving Biodiversity Credit Market.”
