ABSTRACT
This chapter first describes biodiversity offsetting in theory and in practice. It then address the role of science and knowledge producers more broadly in promoting this policy framework, and thus in justifying continuing capital accumulation and development, arguing that neoliberalization of knowledge production plays a central role in the neoliberalization of nature. According to BBOP, biodiversity offsets are measures taken to compensate for any residual significant, adverse impacts that cannot be avoided, minimised and/or rehabilitated or restored, in order to achieve no net loss or a net gain of biodiversity. The literature on biodiversity offsetting and markets for ecosystem services more broadly consistently assumes that science can produce the metrics and accounting tools needed to make offsetting work. But physical scientists have not exactly been leading the charge for ecosystem service markets, as several commentators have noted. The critique of marketization is explicit, frequent, and trenchant - and is grounded in issues of scientific knowledge concerning the adequacy of offsets.
