Work package 2

WP2 will scrutinize the systemic changes needed in environmental law to shift the burden to those engaged in ecologically harmful actions and to allow the adoption of a comprehensive legally binding biodiversity offsetting system (PI Pappila). Biodiversity crisis
calls for a profound paradigm shift in our legal system: the NNL principle and biodiversity offsetting has to be operationalized in law to prevent biodiversity loss. This will require changes in environmental impact assessment (EIA), environmental permitting and land use planning (MP6-7). There are currently 37 countries with mandatory biodiversity offsetting policies for at least some infrastructure sectors or habitat types, and further 64 countries that recommend or enable voluntary offsets. The ongoing reform of the Finnish Nature Conservation Act
is the first step, but there offsetting is limited to certain species and habitats and it is not enough to reach the transformative change needed towards sustainable and resilient systems. Offsetting is needed beyond the Nature Conservation Act. WP2 collaborates in data collection with WP1 and provides insights for the co-creation ofeffective governance of offsetting in WP6.

Minna Pappila (PI)
SYKE

Paula Leskinen
SYKE