Biodiversity offsetting has become an integral part of many modern planning and compensation frameworks, including Biodiversity Net Gain policies now mandated under the UK’s Environment Act 2021.

This open access synthesis by Moilanen et al. reviews the role of ecological monitoring in ensuring that offsetting delivers on its promise of measurable biodiversity gains. The authors argue that one of the most common reasons offset schemes fail is inadequate monitoring whether due to poor design, limited frequency, or lack of alignment with ecological objectives.

The paper evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of different monitoring approaches, from simple habitat condition checks to species-specific quantitative surveys, and highlights the importance of considering monitoring not just at the level of individual projects but across the wider offset framework. For practitioners involved in offset design, implementation and compliance, this review provides a timely, practical overview of how monitoring can be structured and funded to improve ecological outcomes. It serves as a useful reference for updating offset monitoring schemes and for informing discussions between developers, regulators and conservation stakeholders.

Reference: Moilanen, A., Jalkanen, J., Halme, P., Nieminen, E., Kotiaho, J. S. & Kujala, H. (2024) Global Ecology and Conservation 54: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03039