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Biodiversity offsets in a world of land scarcity: A comparative study of legal tools for land securement

Author

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  • Habermann, Johannes Tobias
  • Bergheim, Håvard

Abstract

Biodiversity offsets form a central instrument in global conservation debates: they aim to counterbalance the negative impacts of development projects in order to achieve a “no net loss” and preferably a “net gain” of biodiversity. The effectiveness of offsets hinges not only on their ecological design. Under conditions of land scarcity, the regulatory context plays a decisive role for their success. A key but underexplored question is how land is secured for offsets, and how this process interacts with property rights. To analyse this challenge, the study develops an analytical framework combining three perspectives: environmental economics, which clarifies the rationales for intervention through either averted-loss or restoration logics; property rights theory, which distinguishes between use rights and disposal rights to show how legal instruments reshape property relations; and policy instrument analysis, which highlights whether land is secured through hierarchical regulation or negotiated cooperation.

Suggested Citation

  • Habermann, Johannes Tobias & Bergheim, Håvard, 2026. "Biodiversity offsets in a world of land scarcity: A comparative study of legal tools for land securement," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:165:y:2026:i:c:s0264837726000657
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2026.107981
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