User:Manxshearwater/nonetloss

= No net loss policy = "No net loss" (NNL) policy describes environmental policy approaches that aim to counterbalance the negative impacts of development projects on biodiversity. Attempts to counterbalance these impacts generally involves use of measures to avoid, reduce, restore, and offset that are applied across sites, regions, and countries.

NNL emerged from wetland mitigation banking policy in the United States in the 1970s. It is now commonly used as an objective for biodiversity offsetting. Implementation occurs through Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) that assess the impacts of potential development projects on the environment, often by using a mitigation hierarchy. The mitigation hierarchy refers to a sequential framework of steps that are applied with the aim of mitigating biodiversity losses. Its step often vary by sector and region, but often include: avoidance, reduction, restoration, and offsetting.

The approach is controversial and NNL has been described as a buzz phrase.

Background
The concept of "no net loss" emerged from US wetland policy in the 1970s.

Definition
"No net loss" is defined by the International Finance Corporation as "the point at which the project-related impacts on biodiversity are balanced by measures taken to avoid and minimize the project's impacts, to understand on site restoration and finally to offset significant residual impacts, if any, on an appropriate geographic scale (e.g local, landscape-level, national, regional)."

United States
Further information: No net loss wetlands policy

Controversy
No net loss is a controversial idea.

It has been described as a buzz phrase in environmental policy.

The implementation of no net loss policies also faces challenges.