The Landscape Finance Lab have developed a Biodiversity Credit QuickScan Tool, alongside accompanying guidance, to help restoration projects improve their understanding of biodiversity credits and whether they are a worthwhile option for financing conservation or restoration. This tool was developed in collaboration with the Pärnu catchment Action Site in Estonia, and tested by the other WaterLANDS Action Sites.

The biodiversity credit market is in an early stage of development, and there is a lack of practical tools and guidance to support local project teams. This tool is the first of its kind, offering an easy way to assess the feasibility of developing biodiversity credits at a given site.

It is intended as a practical tool to help projects understand the principles of developing high-integrity biodiversity credit projects, assess the suitability and feasibility of biodiversity credits as a financing option for their projects, and how they can be applied in a specific context. The tool sets out key questions to help practitioners understand integrity principles related to biodiversity credits and assess if these principles can be respected in a given context, or project site. It guides teams through 21 questions across four areas – legal, social, biodiversity, and market - to help cut through the complexity of a quickly evolving market.

It is hoped that this publication can contribute to the implementation of the European Commission’s Roadmap towards Nature Credits, and the development of future tools and guides to support practitioners to pilot and scale biodiversity.

You can access the tool and guidance on our website.