Biodiversity offsetting in England: governance rescaling, socio-spatial injustices, and the neoliberalization of nature

Abstract

In this paper, I use primary empirical data obtained through interviews in selected case studies around England to shed light on the neoliberal character of biodiversity offsetting, its interrelationship with governance rescaling processes, and the way the latter influences the distribution of the costs and benefits of biodiversity offsetting policies. My results show that biodiversity offsetting in England has been a reactionary neoliberal policy whose implementation has so far been characterized by important deficits from an environmental and socio-spatial justice perspective.