The Government of New Zealand is investigating the potential for a Biodiversity Credit System to enable individuals and companies to invest in projects that contribute to protecting, restoring and enhancing biodiversity with confidence.
Landowners or project developers could obtain biodiversity credits for conservation projects following a certification process.
Projects could potentially relate to biodiversity on land such as: whenua Māori, farms and other private land; waterways; catchment areas and the marine environment.
Activities the system could support include: protecting or re-establishing forests; restoring wetlands; planting native trees and shrubs; creating buffer zones near protected habitats and connecting wildlife corridors.
Private companies, charities, investors and philanthropists could buy biodiversity credits from the landowners or an intermediary acting for landowners. Buying biodiversity credits would give them the opportunity to verifiably claim to be helping native wildlife.
