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The politics of influence in biodiversity offsetting

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  • Stéphanie Barral

    (INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, LISIS - Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Sciences, Innovations, Sociétés - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Université Gustave Eiffel, IFRIS - Institut francilien recherche, innovation et société - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - OST - UPEM - Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée - M.E.N.E.S.R. - Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche - ESIEE Paris - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, ACT - Département sciences pour l'action, les transitions, les territoires - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

  • Ritwick Ghosh

    (NC State - North Carolina State University [Raleigh] - UNC - University of North Carolina System, University of Denver)

  • Esteve Corbera

    (ICREA - Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats = Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, UAB - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona = Autonomous University of Barcelona = Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona)

Abstract

Biodiversity offsetting has become a cornerstone of environmental policy since the 1990s, to counterbalance the habitat lost to a development project by conserving equivalent lands elsewhere. This Review describes how actors interpret, shape and contest offsetting policies, placing emphasis on governance and politics rather than the most commonly explored technical design and implementation issues. It highlights the manifold discursive, legal, resource-driven and capacity-building strategies that stakeholders use to influence offsetting processes and outcomes. On this basis, we state future directions for social science research and policy-making.

Suggested Citation

  • Stéphanie Barral & Ritwick Ghosh & Esteve Corbera, 2025. "The politics of influence in biodiversity offsetting," Post-Print hal-05169141, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05169141
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-025-01514-y
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05169141v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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