Policy development for environmental licensing and biodiversity offsets in Latin America.

Ana Villarroya,Ana Cristina Barros,Joseph Kiesecker,Clinton N Jenkins

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0107144

Abstract

Attempts to meet biodiversity goals through application of the mitigation hierarchy have gained wide traction globally with increased development of public policy, lending standards, and corporate practices. With interest in biodiversity offsets increasing in Latin America, we seek to strengthen the basis for policy development through a review of major environmental licensing policy frameworks in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. Here we focused our review on an examination of national level policies to evaluate to which degree current provisions promote positive environmental outcomes. All the surveyed countries have national-level Environmental Impact Assessment laws or regulations that cover the habitats present in their territories. Although most countries enable the use of offsets only Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru explicitly require their implementation. Our review has shown that while advancing quite detailed offset policies, most countries do not seem to have strong requirements regarding impact avoidance. Despite this deficiency most countries have a strong foundation from which to develop policy for biodiversity offsets, but several issues require further guidance, including how best to: (1) ensure conformance with the mitigation hierarchy; (2) identify the most environmentally preferable offsets within a landscape context; (3) determine appropriate mitigation replacement ratios; and (4) ensure appropriate time and effort is given to monitor offset performance.

Highlights

Over the two decades, governments and companies will invest unprecedented sums – well over 20 trillion dollars – in development projects around the world, from Argentina to Zambia
With interest in biodiversity offsets increasing in Latin America, we seek to strengthen the basis for policy development through a review of major environmental licensing policy frameworks in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela (Figure 1)
State and provincial policies have not been included in this study. They are necessary to respond to local environmental contexts, the paper focuses on national policies because (a) the constitution of Chile, Colombia, Peru only allow for all laws to be established at the national level [17,18,19]

Summary

Introduction

Over the two decades, governments and companies will invest unprecedented sums – well over 20 trillion dollars – in development projects around the world, from Argentina to Zambia. It will require that we find ways to balance the seemingly conflicting goals of improving infrastructure, increasing food production, and expanding access to reliable energy and housing while preserving and protecting the biodiversity and ecosystem services of the region. To simultaneously achieve these goals will be challenging and require that development is complemented by public and private investments to prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services

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Conclusion