The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to mobilise at least USD 200 billion a year for biodiversity by 2030, against a finance gap estimated at USD 700 billion. Its Target 19 lists biodiversity credits among the innovative schemes to be encouraged, and voluntary schemes have multiplied since 2022. Yet the same word — credit, or certificate — covers very different things: regulatory obligation or voluntary action, offsetting or contribution, gains measured for a species or for an ecosystem, at the scale of a site or of a territory. Despite the framing work led by the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits (IAPB), the Biodiversity Credit Alliance (BCA) and the European Commission, the subject remains hard to grasp.

This event takes a practical look at biodiversity credits: it sets three approaches under development side by side, then gives the floor to three potential users. The aim is to understand how these schemes work, and under what conditions they can succeed.

After an opening by the IAPB, the first panel, moderated by the BCA, brings together three different approaches — local contribution (PRATIC Biodiversity), France Crédits Biodiversité (CDC Biodiversité) and Biodiversity Units (RESTORE). Each gives a brief overview of how it works, then explains how it addresses the three main challenges facing credit schemes:

• Integrity: does the credit correspond to a real, properly assessed ecological gain that is additional and durable, with no leakage?
• Inclusiveness: does the scheme ensure that Indigenous Peoples and local communities are properly represented and fairly remunerated?
• Demand: is it attractive to potential funders?

Those who might use these instruments then take the floor in a second panel, moderated by IFD: AXA for business, the IUCN French Committee for conservation, CIAT for agriculture. Each explains what place credits could take in their work, and under what conditions.

The European Commission concludes, in light of its Roadmap towards Nature Credits, before IFD and PRATIC Biodiversity close the event with references and resources.

You will leave with a clear idea of what a biodiversity credit covers today, how mature the schemes really are, and what to check before committing a project, funding or a public policy to them.

Co-organizers :

• Confirmed (co-organisator) :  The Institut de la Finance Durable (IFD) has published a position paper on behalf of French financial actors on nature credits. IFD is also part of the European Commission’s expert group on nature credits.  
  • https://institutdelafinancedurable.com/en/response-from-the-institut-de-la-finance-durable-to-the-european-commissions-consultation-on-nature-credits/
• Confirmed (co-organisator) : PRATIC Biodiversity is a research programme aimed at developing methods and tools to better guide action in support of biodiversity. It is based on collaborative approaches developed jointly with stakeholders.

  Founded in 2021 by the National Museum of Natural History, Carbone 4 and the Foundation for Biodiversity Research, the initiative is structured around two strands:

  - Puzzling Biodiversity, which focuses on practices implemented on the ground
  - Territorial Biodiversity Certificates, centred on funding mechanisms for biodiversity action.

  The programme aims to produce robust and user-friendly methods. These can be utilised by local authorities, managers, public sector bodies and businesses. All outputs are available as open source :https://www.pratic-biodiversity.org