Enhancing national and international understanding regarding ecological compensation

The multidisciplinary research conducted in BOOST includes, among others, ecological accounting, political science and legal analysis . Study results will be shared with the scientific community and with any other interested party in real time: this includes both peer-reviewed articles and Finnish language research reports. In addition, the scientific principles for biodiversity offsetting will be published as a book available internationally. A project by one partner organization, Sakatti Mining Oy, will be used as an example case for the accounting.

The purpose of the social science and political science analysis is to identify which socio-cultural factors should be considered when developing ecological compensations. This includes analyzing both national and international policy, and conducting a citizen survey regarding nature conservation policy. These in turn provide data on the societal acceptability of the compensation measures. The results will be published as peer-reviewed articles and as policy briefs. They will also be communicated and discussed during discussion forums between researchers and policy makers organized together with the Forum for Environmental Information (YTF).