The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a green paper on biodiversity offsetting. The idea behind offsetting is that if someone plans a development in environmentally sensitive areas, they will be allowed to carry out the development if they could offset damage by paying for conservation activities elsewhere.
The plan is certainly a controversial one and is dividing opinions amongst different groups.
Environment Secretary Owen Patterson said, "Offsetting is an exciting opportunity to look at how we can improve the environment as well as grow the economy". He added, "There is no reason why wildlife and development can't flourish side by side."
In March, a report from the Government's Ecosystems Markets Task Force recommended that the offsetting scheme should be rolled out as a matter of priority, whilst some campaign groups disagree.
The Woodland Trust's chief executive Sue Holden believes that offsetting should be used only as a last resort, whilst Friends of the Earth (FOE) said that the plans are a licence to "trash nature".
FOE's nature campaigner Sandra Bell said, "Instead of putting nature up for sale, the Government should strengthen its protection through the planning system and set out bold plans to safeguard and restore wildlife across the UK."
Defra has launched a consultation on their biodiversity offsetting scheme, which will end on 7 November 2013.
