Exploring the implementation of Ontario’s biological offsetting process for species at risk

Biodiversity offsetting is a tool to mitigate biodiversity loss by compensating for adverse human impacts on a species or its habitat. However, the effectiveness of offsetting is debated and should be considered a last resort relative to protection or management. We explored the implementation of an offsetting approach in Ontario, Canada, known as the overall benefit permit (OBP). An OBP authorizes an activity that will harm a species at risk of extinction or its habitat, on the condition that actions are taken to achieve an overall benefit (more than no net loss) to the species. We categorized and compared actions across 412 OBPs issued from 2008 to 2023. Of all 264 listed species at risk in Ontario, 22% were represented in OBPs, but 57.4% of permits comprised only 8 species. Actions to achieve overall benefit were primarily targeted to Land/Water Management (48.3%), followed by Species Management (17.8%) and Monitoring (13.8%). Overall benefit criteria were not consistently met across permits, with only half of all permits specifying a timeline for completion. We recommend improving the overall benefit approach by prioritizing actions that can directly increase population resiliency and habitat suitability, inclusion of clear timelines, and compliance monitoring to ensure outcomes are being met.