Marni Baetge, Principal Environmental Scientist at Aurora Environmental, participated in the third National Biodiversity Offsets Conference, organised by the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) in July 2024.
With nearly 400 attendees from across Australia and New Zealand, the event brought together environmental professionals to explore opportunities for improving biodiversity offset practices. These offsets aim to balance the environmental impacts of projects through measures such as land conservation, habitat restoration, species reintroduction, and funding for research and educational programs.
For Marni, the conference highlighted how Aurora Environmental’s guidance for clients aligns closely with the latest industry insights, including the rising emphasis on “Nature Positive” goals. This concept has become a worldwide priority for biodiversity restoration and protection, following the commitment of 188 countries, including Australia, to the 30x30x30 target: protecting 30% of land, waters, and seas and restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030, with the broader aim of reversing nature loss by 2050.
Although biodiversity offsets are widely used, their effectiveness can be limited, and nature-positive outcomes aren’t always achieved. The conference focused on ways to enhance nature-positive outcomes, emphasising the importance of appropriate funding, strong stakeholder engagement, and clear baseline metrics.
Aurora’s involvement in this conference reinforces its commitment to minimising environmental impact and achieving net-positive results wherever possible. By engaging in key industry discussions, Aurora continues to provide clients with expert, up-to-date advice on biodiversity offset strategies and evolving regulatory requirements.
