Co-creating and applying a theory of change for biodiversity credits - towards a nature-positive future

共同创建并应用生物多样性积分变革理论——迈向自然积极的未来

• 批准号: NE/X016315/1
• 负责人: Richard Field
• 金额: $ 22.14万
• 依托单位: University of Nottingham
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FX016315%2F1
• 关键词: Co; creating; applying; theory; change

Our main aim is to deliver integration between the financial sector and biodiversity by adapting and implementing the innovations we are developing with current UKRI-funded projects on the 'economics of biodiversity'. These innovations started with developing a method to quantify biodiversity that is appropriate for use in biodiversity valuation and trading, and thus in biodiversity credit standards. We now propose to take the next step in developing tools and best-practice guidelines for (a) landowners and stewards to use when developing biodiversity projects for which biodiversity credits are sought, (b) assessors of biodiversity change (private knowledge providers, consultancies or universities) to consider when measuring biodiversity on behalf of either the landowners or the finance industry, (c) the finance industry to use when assessing applications for biodiversity credits, (d) investors to use when looking to invest in biodiversity.This work has been co-designed from the start. Indeed, it is led by stakeholder needs, with strong encouragement from the finance sector. In developing biodiversity measurements for biodiversity credits, we are working closely with Plan Vivo (a UK charity and the longest-standing carbon credit issuer; see Beneficiaries) and Gold Standard (2300 carbon credit projects in 98+ countries). We have a wide non-academic network involved beyond that, from all relevant sectors (a) to (d) above. With the current proposal, we aim to extend the network further and take the next crucial steps to position this UK-led innovation as key in the global standard of biodiversity credits. This is timely given the explosion of interest in private investment in biodiversity (triggered by new regulatory and reporting requirements for biodiversity net gain and a nature positive future) combined with a lack of appropriate biodiversity finance tools. Whilst our main focus is on the UK, we will ensure that the investment NERC and ESRC have made in our biodiversity credits work in the UK is aligned with the key global developments in that area. This aim is aided by the appointment in August 2022 of the project's PI to the World Economic Forum's Biodiversity Credit Working Group and its 'Pilot' sub-committee.We will adopt a 'theory of change'-based approach, meaning that we will explicitly develop and agree intended outcomes and assumptions, connect the outcomes to steps required to achieve them, determine appropriate indicators of change, and identify interventions needed that are not already planned - all co-created with stakeholders. To achieve as optimal a framework as possible, removing unnecessary complexity and thereby reducing risk of failure, we will employ state-of-the-art project management tools. The key funded activities will involve working groups (primarily online, to maximise participation), co-developing our theory of change with representatives of all relevant stakeholder groups. In addition, early on we will have a full-day in-person workshop with key partners to develop the tools and approaches for these online workshops, including developing a framework for the theory of change, plus an in-person wrap-up meeting. Further, we aim to have an interactive website with a set of webinars, and a social media presence, to improve understanding of the principles of, and need for, biodiversity credits for non-experts. Thus, we will ensure the innovations that NERC and ESRC are funding are functional and taken up by relevant stakeholders.Ultimately, we aim to deliver a framework for tradable biodiversity credits, developed by UK science in partnership with industry, to allow the release of private finance for biodiversity conservation nationally and globally. This is necessary if we are to have any hope of closing the $600-800 billion a year funding shortfall identified by the Global Biodiversity Framework, relative to what is needed to meet the targets for slowing extinction rates.

我们的主要目标是通过调整和实施我们正在开发的创新技术来实现金融部门和生物多样性之间的一体化，这些创新是由 UKRI 目前资助的“生物多样性经济学”项目进行的。这些创新始于开发一种量化生物多样性的方法，该方法适用于生物多样性评估和贸易，从而适用于生物多样性信用标准。我们现在建议采取下一步行动，开发工具和最佳实践指南，供 (a) 土地所有者和管理者在开发寻求生物多样性信用的生物多样性项目时使用，(b) 生物多样性变化评估者（私人知识提供者、咨询机构或机构） (c) 金融业在评估生物多样性信用申请时使用，(d) 投资者在寻求投资生物多样性时使用。共同设计自开始。事实上，它是由利益相关者的需求主导，并得到金融部门的大力鼓励。在开发生物多样性信用额的生物多样性衡量标准时，我们与 Plan Vivo（一家英国慈善机构和历史最悠久的碳信用额发行机构；请参阅受益人）和 Gold Standard（遍布 98 个以上国家/地区的 2300 个碳信用额项目）密切合作。除此之外，我们还拥有广泛的非学术网络，涵盖上述所有相关部门（a）至（d）。根据当前的提案，我们的目标是进一步扩展该网络，并采取接下来的关键步骤，将这项英国主导的创新定位为全球生物多样性信用标准的关键。鉴于对生物多样性的私人投资兴趣激增（由生物多样性净收益和自然积极的未来的新监管和报告要求引发），加上缺乏适当的生物多样性融资工具，这是及时的。虽然我们的主要重点是英国，但我们将确保 NERC 和 ESRC 对英国生物多样性信用工作的投资与该领域的全球主要发展保持一致。 2022 年 8 月，世界经济论坛生物多样性信用工作组及其“试点”小组委员会任命该项目的 PI 有助于实现这一目标。我们将采用基于“变革理论”的方法，这意味着我们将明确制定并商定预期结果和假设，将结果与实现这些结果所需的步骤联系起来，确定适当的变革指标，并确定尚未计划的所需干预措施——所有这些都是与利益相关者共同创建的。为了实现尽可能最佳的框架，消除不必要的复杂性，从而降低失败风险，我们将采用最先进的项目管理工具。受资助的关键活动将涉及工作组（主要是在线的，以最大限度地参与），与所有相关利益相关者群体的代表共同开发我们的变革理论。此外，早期我们将与主要合作伙伴举行全天的现场研讨会，为这些在线研讨会开发工具和方法，包括开发变革理论框架，以及现场总结会议。此外，我们的目标是建立一个包含一系列网络研讨会和社交媒体的互动网站，以提高非专家对生物多样性积分的原则和需求的理解。因此，我们将确保 NERC 和 ESRC 资助的创新发挥作用，并由相关利益相关者采用。最终，我们的目标是提供一个由英国科学界与工业界合作开发的可交易生物多样性信用框架，以允许释放私人资金为国家和全球生物多样性保护提供资金。如果我们希望弥补全球生物多样性框架确定的每年 600-8000 亿美元的资金缺口（相对于实现减缓灭绝速度的目标所需的资金缺口），这是必要的。