What is the impact of a successful environmental offset?

Companies aiming for successful environmental compensation must align themselves with the environmental authority and comply with the obligations that a company incurs when its project affects the environment or increases the deterioration of the landscape. For example, when environmental offsets are made for tree felling. The interveners should guarantee an equal amount of species or more depending on the environmental value. The compensation should be made the trees were cut down or in another space if the site is not available for replanting.

When executing a project that requires an environmental license, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must be requested from the Environmental Authority, which must clearly describe all the components related to the environmental and socioeconomic costs that will be impacted by the development of the activity. It is also necessary to inform the environmental authority of the strategies or programs that will prevent, mitigate, correct, and compensate the impacted area.

The environmental compensation units are proposed to comprehensively evaluate the implementation of a project that affects an ecosystem. They are classified as preventive, they seek to avoid environmental impacts in the execution of the project. Mitigation: mitigation measures are formulated to reduce the impact on the ecosystem. Finally, there is the correction, which are measures that are implemented when the ecosystem is impacted and seek to recover the biodiversity that could be affected.

Environmental compensation is vital for the conservation of the environment, as it complements the work carried out by public entities, guaranteeing connectivity between protected ecosystems. This makes it easier to monitor flora and fauna, and also encourages the community to develop a sense of belonging.

Companies that decide to intervene in an environmental territory must comply with responsibilities, such as complying with the pertinent regulations, avoiding as far as possible activities that directly affect biodiversity, and keeping in constant contact with the different entities in charge of environmental control, to evaluate the respective environmental compensation.

Environmental compensation offers an opportunity for companies that exploit the land to allocate resources to recover the flora and fauna of the territories. When the compensation corresponds to the planting of native trees, miracles occur, such as the growth of different species, and this new area is reintegrated into the existing vegetation, regenerating water sources and promoting the arrival of native animals.

In Colombia, since the regulation of environmental offsets, companies concerned about their environmental footprint turn to expert entities for guidance. For this reason,  Red de Árboles ONG decided to specialize in providing advice to companies concerning environmental responsibility and the formulation of environmental offsets through reforestation. There are already more than 200 companies that have had successful environmental compensation processes throughout the country.
 

Source consulted:
https://www.reddearboles.org/