ID: 1907
Presenting Author: Dave Poulton
Session: 682 - From Theory to Practice: Nature Positive Landscapes in the Mining Sector
Status: pending
An examination of the status of the mitigation hierarchy in policy and practice in various entities with Canada’s federal government. We have found a fragmented policy landscape and inconsistent reli
The mitigation hierarchy (avoid – minimize – remediate – offset) is one of the cornerstones of biodiversity conservation and the move to a nature positive future. The hierarchy emphasizes leaving natural ecosystem intact where possible, rather than attempting to reconstruct them through extraordinary measures. Its actual application is the object of frequent skepticism. Clarity of policy and standards is one key to the credible application of the hierarchy in impact assessment. According to many participants in our qualitative study, the rigour of standards creates an economic incentive to comply with the hierarchy, putting priority on avoidance and minimization.
Our presentation will review the status of the mitigation hierarchy in Canadian federal policy and practice. The hierarchy is expressed in six different statutes and policies with no unifying themes of terminology. Expectations are not standardized across the government. This is a source of confusion and irritation for both stakeholders and officials. Further, we have identified an absence of assigned responsibility for the application of the hierarchy. We will examine how this situation is reflected in the decisions of key government entities. We suggest that before Canada can move into a Nature Positive agenda, its stated goal, it must improve its policy environment for protecting the biodiversity that exists.
Dave Poulton is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Queensland School of the Environment. He also serves as Senior Advisor to the Alberta Land Institute at the University of Alberta.
Coauthor 1: Justina Ray