Biodiversity Offsetting in a Nature Positive World

Understand the role of biodiversity offsets within the broader Nature Positive agenda. Explore how development projects can better manage their ecological impacts while contributing to global biodiversity goals. 

About the course

As development pressures on nature increase, it is more important than ever to understand how environmental impacts can be responsibly addressed. This short course provides a foundational overview of biodiversity offsets as part of the mitigation hierarchy – a stepwise framework used in conservation and development planning. 

Using real-world scenarios, reflections, and guided exercises, learners will explore key concepts such as No Net Loss, Net Gain, and the emerging vision of a Nature Positive world. You’ll learn when biodiversity offsets are appropriate, how they’re implemented, and how they contribute to both project-level and broader biodiversity outcomes. 

The course also introduces the IUCN Policy on Biodiversity Offsets, helping you understand the principles that ensure offsets are scientifically sound, ethically applied, and transparently governed.   

Who should take this course?

• Professionals new to biodiversity compensation, including environmental consultants, corporate sustainability officers, and policy advisors 
• Stakeholders involved in project development who wish to understand how impacts on nature can be better assessed and addressed 
• Anyone interested in the Nature Positive agenda and how offsetting fits into global biodiversity goals.

No prior knowledge of biodiversity offsetting is required. 

What are the benefits of taking this course?

• Gain a structured understanding of how biodiversity impacts are addressed through the mitigation hierarchy 
• Learn the principles and limitations of biodiversity offsets in real-world contexts 
• Understand how offsetting contributes to Nature Positive outcomes at site and global levels 
• Access curated resources and tools to support your work and ongoing learning 
• Join a growing community of practitioners focused on sustainable development and ecological integrity

What will you learn?

On completion of the course, you will be able to: 

• Explain the mitigation hierarchy and where biodiversity offsets fit within it 
• Understand key terms such as No Net Loss, Net Gain, and Nature Positive 
• Identify the conditions under which biodiversity offsets are appropriate 
• Apply principles of high-integrity offsetting, including additionality, equivalence, and time-lags 
• Distinguish between regulatory and voluntary offsetting frameworks 
• Reflect on challenges and debates surrounding biodiversity compensation in policy and practice 

For a successful completion, participants must

Complete the modules, pass the knowledge checks and the final assessment.

Financial support

Technical support

IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management 

Impact Mitigation and Ecological Compensation (IMEC) 

Acknowledgements

The IMEC videos should recognise that they were produced by offsets specialists from the IMEC Thematic Group, the University of Queensland, RMIT University, The University of Melbourne and University of Helsinki with the support of funding from the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program through the Threatened Species Recovery Hub.