Brief an EU-Umweltkommissar gegen Kompensation von Biodiversität

21.10.2014: 67 internationale Organisationen und 9279 Menschen sprechen sich gegen Maßnahmen aus, mit denen Unternehmen die von ihnen zerstörte Biodiversität kompensieren sollen

Dear Environment Commissioner,

We are a group of concerned organisations and individuals who believe that the legislation on biodiversity offsetting being considered by the European Commission would harm nature and people, and would give power to those who destroy nature for private profit. We ask for all plans on offsetting to be dropped.

Offsetting provides a licence to trash

Global experience of biodiversity offsetting shows that it actually creates additional pressure on biodiversity. This is because it gives contentious development green credentials. For instance, in the UK, the government has been quite open that biodiversity offsetting will "speed up planning applications”. Biodiversity offsets have already facilitated approval of development proposals on ancient woodland, high value grasslands and areas that local communities enjoy.

Commodifying nature

Biodiversity offsetting commodifies nature and sends out a dangerous message that nature is replaceable. Biodiversity and ecosystems are complex and unique. It is impossible to reduce biodiversity into a system of credits as envisaged by many offsetting systems.

Communities lose access to nature

Biodiversity offsetting masks the fact that when you destroy nature, it is lost forever, leading to loss of biodiversity and a loss of access to nature for communities, affecting people’s health, well-being and enjoyment. People cherish nature not just for what it is, but for where it is. The social role that nature plays in the lives of people and communities cannot be offset.

Protecting nature, recognising responsibilities, no offsetting

If the EU and Member States are concerned by the ongoing loss of biodiversity, they must recognise that offsetting will make the problem worse. Tackling biodiversity loss requires that Member States implement laws that protect biodiversity, take a critical look at how land is used and elaborate local development plans in partnership, not in opposition to, local communities. Economies must be structured in the interests of citizens and not those of big business.

Nature is a common good that all share rights to and have responsibilities over. To be effective, any policy to protect biodiversity must take these considerations into account.

We urge the European Commission to drop plans for EU legislation on biodiversity offsetting. Such policies will only succeed in enabling those that can afford it to destroy nature for private profit. The EU should act in the public interest by protecting biodiversity, nature and public spaces through clear regulation and meaningful enforcement.


Yours sincerely,

Action Nature et Territoire (ACNAT) Languedoc-Roussillon France
Aitec-IPAM France
Amis de la Terre midi-Pyrénées France
Animal Conservation and Welfare Foundation Poland
ARA e.V. Germany
Associació Plataforma Salvem Andratx Spain
Attac Austria Austria
Attac France France
Biofuel Watch UK
Both ENDS Netherlands
Carbon Trade Watch Spain
CEE Bankwatch Network Italy
Centre d'Etude et de Sauvegarde de la Biodiversité France Climaxi Belgium
Collectif Causse Méjean - Gaz de Schiste NON ! France
Conservation Justice Belgium
Corporate Europe Observatory Belgium
counter balance Belgium
denkhausbremen.de Germany
DKA Austria Austria
ECA-Watch Austria Austria
Ecologistas en Accion Spain
EcoNexus UK
Ecoropa Germany
Environmental and Social Change (ESC) UK
FERN UK
Food & Water Europe Belgium
Forest Peoples Programme UK
forum Nachhaltig Wirtschaften / Altop Verlag Germany
Friends of Siberian Forests Russian Federation
Friends of the Earth Europe Switzerland
Friends of the Earth Flanders Belgium
Friends of the Earth International Costa Rica
Friends of the Earth Spain Spain
Friends of the Earth UK UK
Gaia Foundation UK
Gesellschaft zur Rettung der Delphine e.V. Germany
GLOBAL 2000 Austria
Global Forest Coalition Netherlands
Global Witness UK
Initiative 50thousand Trees Germany
Lavigne Biodiv network France
La Via Campesina France
Les Amis de la Terre France
Les Amis de la Terre du Val de Bièvre France
Make A Change United States Mining Watch Romania Romania
Malta Organic Agriculture Movement Malta
No FiBS (No fracking in Balcombe Society) UK
Observatori del Deute en la Globalització Spain
Plant USA
Platform UK
Pro Wildlife Germany
Re:Common Italy
Rettet den Regenwald e.V./Rainforest Rescue Germany
Save our Woods UK
Shark Research Institute United States
Sobrevivencia/FoE-Paraguay Paraguay
The Corner House UK
The Land Magazine UK
The Woodland League Ireland
Third World Network Malaysia
Timberwatch coalition South Africa
Transnational Institiute Netherlands
Urgewald WDM Germany
World Economy, Ecology & Development (WEED) Germany

For a list of individual signatories, click on this link here.