Are Biodiversity Credits and Offsets the Solution to the Biodiversity Crisis in Africa?
This policy brief was jointly developed by Wafa Misrar and Yves Shema fellows in the 2024 AWF-Wall Policy Fellowship, with technical support from Yemi Katerere.
Executive Summary
Africa’s rich biodiversity faces immense challenges from industrial exploitation, habitat degradation, and the escalating impacts of climate change. Biodiversity credits and offsets are increasingly promoted as solutions; however, they fall short of addressing the root causes of biodiversity loss. Instead, they perpetuate inequalities, marginalize local communities, and fail to deliver meaningful conservation outcomes.
This policy brief argues that biodiversity credits and offsets are an unnecessary diversion from effective conservation. Rather than relying on market mechanisms that commodify nature, Africa must pursue bold and transformative alternatives that tackle systemic drivers of biodiversity loss. These include robust governance, community empowerment, and a unified African strategy that rejects Biodiversity commodification and promotes equity and resilience.
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Citation:
Shema, Y., Misar, W., & Katerere, Y. (2026). Are biodiversity credits and offsets the solution to the biodiversity crisis in Africa? Green Horizon Alliance Ltd.