Biodiversity Offsets and Credits: Frequently Asked Questions

A fact sheet by Friends of the Earth International arguing that biodiversity offsets and credits are ineffective and potentially harmful mechanisms for biodiversity protection, advocating instead for transformational change to address the root causes of biodiversity loss.

• Biodiversity offsets and credits are promoted as ways to fund biodiversity protection, but evidence suggests offsets—which follow the model of carbon markets—may cause significant environmental and social harm. Biocrediting systems are viewed as unlikely to effectively protect ecosystems or provide reliable additional funding for conservation.
• The use of these mechanisms is associated with several risks, including greenwashing, land grabbing, community displacements, human rights violations, and threats to food sovereignty and ecosystem integrity. Furthermore, these market-driven approaches often fail to provide revenue to local communities.
• The document characterizes biodiversity offsets and credits as 'false solutions' and argues that the biodiversity crisis requires a priority shift toward transformational change to address the underlying causes of destruction.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (n.d.). Biodiversity Offsets and Credits: Frequently Asked Questions. https://www.foei.org/publication/biodiversity-offsets-and-credits-frequently-asked-questions/

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Biodiversity Offsets and Credits: Frequently Asked Questions. n.d. https://www.foei.org/publication/biodiversity-offsets-and-credits-frequently-asked-questions/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Biodiversity Offsets and Credits: Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://www.foei.org/publication/biodiversity-offsets-and-credits-frequently-asked-questions/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternationalndbiodiversity, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Biodiversity Offsets and Credits: Frequently Asked Questions}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/publication/biodiversity-offsets-and-credits-frequently-asked-questions/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }