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Although there are certainly emerging trends and themes in offsetting, at present it is done on a relatively ad hoc basis with little consistency in terms of ecological credibility, rigour, enforceability and legislative parameters. The consultant is expected to perform works in three stages:
Stage 1 (December, 2015/February, 2016):
- Scoping the recognized best biodiversity offsetting practices, guidelines and recommendations of the international organizations and associations, existing policies and regulations currently in place at the international or national levels for the energy sector (oil&gas, coal mining and hydropower);
- Preparation of the review outlining the general principles for the biodiversity offsetting, existing policies and regulations, mechanisms and tools for the implementation followed by the appropriate practical examples from the different ecosystems and projects. The special section should focus on the identification of the gaps and problem areas in practical implementation. Prior to the preparation of the review the draft table of content must be sent to the project management for the comments and adoption.
Stage 2 (March/April, 2016):
- Provide the assessment of the state-of-the-art biodiversity compensation activities in Kemerovo oblast, one of the project pilot regions in Russia, relevant to the coal exploration in the vicinity of the existing and planning protection areas for the rocky steeps. The assessment should be executed basing on the review prepared during the stage 1 and the information provided by the project. The assessment should focus on the improvement of the current actions undertaken by the project, the authorities and the coal companies;
- The special attention in the assessment should be given to the recommendations on the compensation and offsetting activities for the existing and future coal exploration in Kemerovo oblast, Russia.
Stage 3 (May/June, 2016):
- Provide the assessment of the state-of-the-art biodiversity compensation activities in Amur oblast, one of the project pilot regions in Russia, relevant to the construction of Nizhne-Bureyskaya hydroelectric power plant (NBHPP). The assessment should be executed basing on the review prepared during the stage 1 and the information provided by the project. The assessment should focus on the improvement of the current actions undertaken by the project, the authorities and the hydropower company;
- The special attention in the assessment should be given to the recommendations on the compensation and offsetting activities for the potential future HPP construction in Amur oblast, Russia.
Stage 1 will be based on documents review. There is a great number of publications on biodiversity and ecosystem services, mitigation hierarchies and biodiversity offsetting including implementation guides, checklists and background documents. For the selection of advanced biodiversity compensation mechanisms it is important to review available solutions from all sectors, including governmental plans, policies and legal background.
The following information sources have been identified:
- Energy sector documents (industry and branch organisations);
- Guidelines and recommendations of the international organizations and associations;
- Numerous resources including Business and Biodiversity Offsets Program (BBOP) describing relevant issues in great details;
- Case studies for each of three energy sectors: hydropower, oil&gas and coal mining;
- Internal documents and policies from energy companies, not publicly available;
- Governmental (the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, South Africa and others) and supra governmental (mainly EU) documents;
- Documents and case studies from other sectors;
- NGO documents.
The international consultant will work under general supervision of the project manager and in close cooperation with the project senior technical advisor. He/she will bear responsibility for the technical implementation of the project activities related to biodiversity offsets and will execute the below targets.
In relation to practical overview of current international best practice (Stage 1) the international consultant is expected to:
- Analyse international experience (BBOP, EU and other necessary materials) to be used as a biodiversity offset basis and institutionalisation (political, legal, economic and other tools supporting and providing incentives for biodiversity compensation mechanisms implementation;
- To assess gaps and problem areas in practical implementation, provide recommendations;
- fFnd and assess best case studies (not less than 5) for each of the three energy sectors ( hydropower, oil&gas and coal mining). Including information on offset design, methodology and techniques to value ecosystem services cost, role and importance of such value in the final offset design, companies’ expenditures for offset, percentage of the expenditures to the total benefits from the implemented offset project.
Stage 3 will be based on documents review as well but may require one business trip to Kemerovo oblast for the engagement with the key stakeholders. During Stage 2 the international consultant will analyse the information on the state-of-the-art compensation activities in Kemerovo oblast, one of the project pilot region in Russia, provide the assessment and comparison with the review prepared during the stage 1.
The project works closely with the major coal companies in Kemerovo oblast, one of the project’s pilot regions in Russia, where the conservation of the rocky steeps is one of the emerging biodiversity issues specifically outlined as the separate indicator in the project document and logframe. One natural reserve “Karakan Ridge” (~ 1,000 ha) has been already established to prevent the natural ecosystems from the coal exploration. Another one “Kostenkovo Rocks” (~ 100 ha) is planned to be established in the vicinity of another coal mining site during the project lifecycle. The compensation activities and the offsetting options are the major point of the particular interests from both the industrial companies and the authorities in Kemerovo oblast.
Stage 3 also will be based on documents review but may require one business trip to Amur oblast for the engagement with the key stakeholders. During the Stage 3 the international consultant will analyse the information on the state-of-the-art compensation activities in Amur oblast, one of the project pilot region in Russia, provide the assessment and comparison with the review prepared during the Stage 1.
The project entered into a quadripartite agreement on the conservation of biodiversity related to the construction of the Nizhne-Bureyskaya hydroelectric power plant (NBHPP). Other signatory partners are the JSC NBHPP, the directorate for the protection and use of wildlife and protected areas of the Amur oblast and the ministry of natural resources of the Amur oblast. The agreement also includes a detailed distribution of responsibilities between the parties with regard to the implementation of environmental and compensatory measures during the construction and operation of the NBHPP.
The NBHPP is currently under construction on the Bureya river, a tributary to the Amur river, and the initial filling of the reservoir is planned to start in 2016. The filling of the reservoir and the subsequent operations of the NBHPP is envisioned to cause significant impacts on the environment, biodiversity, and natural habitats in the flooded zone as well as in the downstream river section.
As the part of the compensation activities the new nature park “Bureyskiy” was established in 2015 and relocation of the threatened, endangered and rare plant species is currently undergoing including the conservation “ex-situ” in the local botanic garden for the future re-introduction of the species into the natural ecosystems.
Expected outcomes and tentative timeframe.
The results will be delivered in the form of reports with appendices. Based on comments to draft reports the final versions shall be prepared and submitted to the client. All reports shall be submitted in concise and grammatically correct English and presented in electronic form in MS Word format.
The consultant is expected to work 28 weeks within the following tentative framework:
- 12 weeks. Stage 1 Report: preparation of the review of current international best practise for biodiversity offsetting, existing guidelines, recommendations, policies and regulations;
- 8 weeks. Stage 2 Report: assessment of the ongoing compensation activities in Kemerovo oblast, Russia;
- 8 weeks. Stage 3 Report: assessment of the ongoing compensation activities in Amur oblast, Russia.
There will be two missions to the particular sites in Russia (Amur oblast and Kemerovo oblast) and two missions to Moscow to represent the prepared review and the results from the case studies to the project stakeholders.
The consultant shall submit the results of his/her work in accordance with the established stages and time schedule. The beginning and end dates of the stages, as well as the work scope under each stage may be adjusted by the project manager subject to the consultant’s sound reasoning.
Payment terms.
The international consultant on biodiversity compensation mechanisms for energy sector will be responsible for all personal administrative and travel expenses associated with the assignment which include all printing, stationary, telephone and electronic communications, report copies , etc.
The payments will be effected as follows:
- First payment: 30 % of the total contract amount upon submission of Stage 1 report;
- Second payment: 30 % of the total contract amount upon submission of Stage 2 report;
- Second payment: 40 % of the total contract amount upon submission of Stage 3 report.
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