During this spring, our research team has developed biodiversity credit methodologies which can be used in boreal ecosystems. This has been an exciting journey, starting with acknowledgment of the complexity of the task, and therefore a realization that we have to create a methodology for one ecosystem at the time. It is not only the biology that is complicated – one has to take into the account the legal as well as the operational aspects. Therefore, the methodologies we have created are a result of a very Swedish forestry perspective, reflecting conservation-, restoration-, legal-, forest owners’-, costs-, buyers’- and practical aspects, hoping to create a crediting system that can easily be used and adopted by many, with a goal to create a net gain of biodiversity where it is applied.
We have developed 3 methodologies for biodiversity credits:
- Methodology for improved biodiversity in boreal forests through restauration,
- Methodology for improved biodiversity in boreal forests through improved forest management of commercial forests, and
- Methodology for improved biodiversity in boreal forests through conservation.
We have also developed a biodiversity assessment method and a biodiversity valuation and calculation method that ought to be used for developing biodiversity credit projects.
These methodologies have been subject to public consultation during May-June 2022. The public consultation process was kicked-off by a couple of webinars after which the methodologies were made publicly available on the project’s website (www.biodiversitycredits.se). A wide number of stakeholders were invited, both by personalized email invitations, as well as through an open invitation posted on LinkedIn. The stakeholders were then encouraged to submit their comments through the contact form provided on the website.
Many valuable and interesting comments were received, and we are very grateful to all who have taken their time to participate. I am currently reviewing the comments and will be incorporating them into the methodologies. I will be publishing the stakeholders’ input and comments on the project web page as soon as possible.
The next step is the pilot project, which will be carried out during September 2022, aiming to test and further improve our methodologies. We also intend to carry out a test transaction in connection to the pilot project. I very much look forward to the coming autumn and feel very excited about the upcoming pilot project!
