Co-creating and applying a theory of change for biodiversity credits - towards a nature-positive future

我们的主要目标是通过适应和实施我们正在开发的创新技术，实现金融部门和生物多样性之间的整合，这些创新技术是由ukri资助的“生物多样性经济学”项目。这些创新始于开发一种量化生物多样性的方法，这种方法适合用于生物多样性评估和交易，从而适用于生物多样性信用标准。我们现在建议采取下一步措施，开发工具和最佳实践指南，以便(a)土地所有者和管理者在开发寻求生物多样性信用的生物多样性项目时使用，(b)生物多样性变化评估者（私人知识提供者、咨询公司或大学）在代表土地所有者或金融行业衡量生物多样性时考虑，(c)金融行业在评估生物多样性信用申请时使用。(d)在寻求投资生物多样性时使用的投资者。这项工作从一开始就是共同设计的。事实上，它是由利益相关者的需求主导的，并得到了金融业的大力鼓励。在开发生物多样性积分的生物多样性测量方面，我们与Plan Vivo（一家英国慈善机构，也是历史最悠久的碳信用发放机构；见受益人）和Gold Standard（98多个国家的2300个碳信用项目）密切合作。除此之外，我们还有一个广泛的非学术网络，涉及上述所有相关部门(a)至(d)。根据目前的提案，我们的目标是进一步扩展该网络，并采取接下来的关键步骤，将这一由英国主导的创新定位为生物多样性信用全球标准的关键。鉴于私人对生物多样性投资的兴趣激增（由生物多样性净收益和自然积极未来的新监管和报告要求引发），加上缺乏适当的生物多样性融资工具，这是及时的。虽然我们的主要重点是在英国，但我们将确保NERC和ESRC对我们在英国的生物多样性信用工作的投资与该领域的关键全球发展保持一致。2022年8月，世界经济论坛生物多样性信贷工作组及其“试点”小组委员会任命了该项目的首席代表，这有助于实现这一目标。我们将采用基于“变革理论”的方法，这意味着我们将明确制定并同意预期的结果和假设，将结果与实现这些结果所需的步骤联系起来，确定适当的变化指标，并确定尚未计划的所需干预措施——所有这些都是与利益相关者共同创造的。为了实现尽可能优化的框架，消除不必要的复杂性，从而减少失败的风险，我们将采用最先进的项目管理工具。主要的资助活动将涉及工作组（主要是在线的，以最大限度地参与），与所有相关利益相关者群体的代表共同发展我们的变革理论。此外，在早期，我们将与主要合作伙伴举行全天的面对面研讨会，为这些在线研讨会开发工具和方法，包括开发变革理论框架，以及面对面的总结会议。此外，我们的目标是建立一个互动网站，包括一系列网络研讨会和社交媒体，以提高非专家对生物多样性信用原则和需求的理解。因此，我们将确保NERC和ESRC资助的创新是有效的，并被相关利益相关者所接受。最终，我们的目标是提供一个可交易的生物多样性信用框架，由英国科学界与工业界合作开发，允许释放私人资金用于国家和全球的生物多样性保护。如果我们希望弥补全球生物多样性框架确定的每年6000 - 8000亿美元的资金缺口，这是必要的，因为这与实现减缓灭绝速度的目标所需的资金是相对的。

Our main aim is to deliver integration between the financial sector and biodiversity by adapting and implementing the innovations we are developing with current UKRI-funded projects on the 'economics of biodiversity'. These innovations started with developing a method to quantify biodiversity that is appropriate for use in biodiversity valuation and trading, and thus in biodiversity credit standards. We now propose to take the next step in developing tools and best-practice guidelines for (a) landowners and stewards to use when developing biodiversity projects for which biodiversity credits are sought, (b) assessors of biodiversity change (private knowledge providers, consultancies or universities) to consider when measuring biodiversity on behalf of either the landowners or the finance industry, (c) the finance industry to use when assessing applications for biodiversity credits, (d) investors to use when looking to invest in biodiversity.This work has been co-designed from the start. Indeed, it is led by stakeholder needs, with strong encouragement from the finance sector. In developing biodiversity measurements for biodiversity credits, we are working closely with Plan Vivo (a UK charity and the longest-standing carbon credit issuer; see Beneficiaries) and Gold Standard (2300 carbon credit projects in 98+ countries). We have a wide non-academic network involved beyond that, from all relevant sectors (a) to (d) above. With the current proposal, we aim to extend the network further and take the next crucial steps to position this UK-led innovation as key in the global standard of biodiversity credits. This is timely given the explosion of interest in private investment in biodiversity (triggered by new regulatory and reporting requirements for biodiversity net gain and a nature positive future) combined with a lack of appropriate biodiversity finance tools. Whilst our main focus is on the UK, we will ensure that the investment NERC and ESRC have made in our biodiversity credits work in the UK is aligned with the key global developments in that area. This aim is aided by the appointment in August 2022 of the project's PI to the World Economic Forum's Biodiversity Credit Working Group and its 'Pilot' sub-committee.We will adopt a 'theory of change'-based approach, meaning that we will explicitly develop and agree intended outcomes and assumptions, connect the outcomes to steps required to achieve them, determine appropriate indicators of change, and identify interventions needed that are not already planned - all co-created with stakeholders. To achieve as optimal a framework as possible, removing unnecessary complexity and thereby reducing risk of failure, we will employ state-of-the-art project management tools. The key funded activities will involve working groups (primarily online, to maximise participation), co-developing our theory of change with representatives of all relevant stakeholder groups. In addition, early on we will have a full-day in-person workshop with key partners to develop the tools and approaches for these online workshops, including developing a framework for the theory of change, plus an in-person wrap-up meeting. Further, we aim to have an interactive website with a set of webinars, and a social media presence, to improve understanding of the principles of, and need for, biodiversity credits for non-experts. Thus, we will ensure the innovations that NERC and ESRC are funding are functional and taken up by relevant stakeholders.Ultimately, we aim to deliver a framework for tradable biodiversity credits, developed by UK science in partnership with industry, to allow the release of private finance for biodiversity conservation nationally and globally. This is necessary if we are to have any hope of closing the $600-800 billion a year funding shortfall identified by the Global Biodiversity Framework, relative to what is needed to meet the targets for slowing extinction rates.