Enetjärn Natur, now Ecogain, has submitted its opinion on the Ministry of Environment and Energy's report Ecological compensation (SOU 2017:34). A report that we support in its entirety.
We welcome the fact that the report is thoroughly prepared and that the proposals are thoroughly substantiated. An important part of the report is that it provides the conditions for strengthening natural capital also in urban planning.
Natural environments should be valued equally, regardless of developer
We support the report's proposal that ecological compensation should also be used in urban planning, not just in environmental assessments. At present, ecological compensation is only applied on the basis of the Environmental Code, which means that the same land is assessed differently depending on whether a heating plant or a residential block is planned on the site.
One of the study's most urgent proposals is therefore the introduction of the concept of ecologically functional landscapes in the Planning and Building Act, Chapter 2. This will lead to a more resource-efficient use of natural environments in the development of buildings.
There is market potential in a clearer regulatory framework
However, the report does not describe the market potential of ecological compensation. In our opinion, we have therefore chosen to make a comment on it. There is a market potential for sustainable business in ecological compensation and habitat banking. A clear and effective regulatory framework for offsetting creates the conditions for a market with many different types of third-party actors and business models.
In the US, where offsets are linked to certain environmental assessments, we can see just that; today the US conservation industry employs between 150,000 and 250,000 people while generating significant revenues and attracting many to invest in nature. It also contributes to the conservation objectives of threatened species and habitats.
A clear regulatory framework in line with the report's proposals could provide an economic incentive for landowners in Sweden to maintain and enhance their natural values, and for third-party actors to develop new business models.
Read our opinion in full
Here you can read the entire Enetjärn Natur, now Ecogains, opinion on the report Ecological compensation (SOU 2017:34)
