Pretoria, South Africa — In commemoration of the 2025 International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) South Africa under its Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), in partnership with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), South African National Parks (SANParks), the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), is convening a two-day National Biodiversity Offset Conference from 22 to 23 May 2025 in Gauteng.

Held under the global theme "Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development," the conference builds on South Africa’s commitment to halting biodiversity loss while advancing sustainable development. The event also aligns with key objectives of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and South Africa’s National Development Plan, reaffirming the country’s leadership in the global effort to address the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution.

At the heart of the conference is the launch of two pioneering tools:

• The National Biodiversity Offset Web Portal, a centralised online platform to track, manage, and monitor biodiversity offset projects across the country; and
• The SANParks Proactive Biodiversity Offset Scheme, designed to unlock new avenues for protected area expansion and streamline development planning through conservation banking.

“These tools represent a significant leap forward in mainstreaming digitalisation and biodiversity conservation into development planning,” said UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in South Africa, Gloria Kiondo “By improving the transparency, efficiency, and impact of biodiversity offsets, we are taking bold steps to secure South Africa’s ecological heritage while enabling sustainable economic growth.”

The National Biodiversity Offset Guideline—gazetted in June 2023 under the National Environmental Management Act—serves as a cornerstone for these initiatives. The Guideline ensures that development activities that cannot fully avoid environmental harm contribute meaningfully to conservation outcomes through scientifically grounded offsetting mechanisms.

Biodiversity offsetting, when implemented responsibly, offers a pragmatic way to reconcile ecological integrity with developmental imperatives. South Africa, as one of the world's megadiverse countries, stands to benefit immensely from a more robust, standardised offsetting framework—helping mitigate biodiversity loss while creating jobs and improving livelihoods through the biodiversity economy.

The conference brings together environmental professionals, government officials, developers, academics, NGOs, and biodiversity specialists to engage in knowledge exchange, capacity building, and policy dialogue. It will also serve as a platform to amplify the critical role of biodiversity in advancing sustainable development. 

As the world approaches the 2030 deadline for achieving the global biodiversity targets, South Africa reaffirms its commitment to collaborative, science-based action for the benefit of both people and the planet.

For media enquiries, contact:

Mr Ntokozo Mahlangu

Head of Communications, UNDP South Africa

Tel: 060 533 6760 

Email: Ntokozo.mahlangu@undp.org 

Issued by:

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) South Africa