This roadmap for business has been prepared by the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Programme (BBOP)1. BBOP ran from 2004-2018 to help developers, conservation groups, communities, governments, and financial institutions develop and apply best practices towards achieving no net loss and preferably a net gain of biodiversity through the thorough application of the mitigation hierarchy (avoid, minimize, rehabilitate/restore, offset). The Principles, Standard, and Handbooks published by BBOP were developed and tested by members of the BBOP Secretariat and Advisory Group and all the BBOP documents have benefited from contributions and suggestions from many people who registered on the BBOP consultation website and numerous others who joined us for discussions in meetings and webinars. All BBOP Advisory Group members support the Principles, and many companies and governments have integrated them into their own commitments and also use the Standard and other tools. We commend the full set of BBOP materials to readers as a source of guidance on which to draw when considering, designing, and implementing projects as well as policies that aim for the best outcomes for biodiversity in the context of development. BBOP has now concluded its work but best practice in this area is still developing. We hope the legacy of BBOP is that its materials continue to be used and the concepts and methodologies presented here are refined over time based on practical experience, research, and broad debate within society. All those involved in BBOP are grateful to the companies who volunteered pilot projects, the members that developed and applied draft versions of the Standard, and other tools as they were developed.
