Page 15 - Energize February 2022

NEWS

PIONEERING BIODIVERSITY OFFSET AGREEMENT

YIELDS POSITIVE IMPACT

IMS Africa and their portfolio company, Umoya Energy Offset-2021.pdf], this biodiversity offset agreement, signed in
Wind Farm, and SANParks are celebrating a pioneering 2014, is regarded as a good example for biodiversity offsetting and
EBiodiversity Offset Agreement that was formalised almost considered to be one of the few successful offset investments in
a decade ago. This Public/Private Partnership was the first of its South Africa, addressing a number of biodiversity challenges.
kind, comprising an agreement with Umoya Energy Wind Farm As outlined in the report, Agreement Manager, appointed
and SANParks, which augments the West Coast National Park from the parties’ organisations facilitates, coordinates and drives
(WCNP), as part of a broader biodiversity expansion programme. the projects’ deliverables. Additionally the agreement addresses
A recently published report released Q4/2021, funded by financial arrangements with a clear project implementation plan
the Global Environment Fund (GEF), and the United Nations and budget.
Development Programme (UNDP) South Africa Country Office,
showcases the agreement and its successes. Background
“At the time this Public/Private Partnership was a first-of-its- The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) brief
kind in the Renewable Energy Sector in South Africa. A decade later on biodiversity offsets explains that public and private sector
and we are proud that it remains intact and that it has resulted in investments in projects are among the current drivers of economic
a measurable positive environmental impact on the land as well as growth, however, biodiversity is not well accounted for under the
the local community,” said Ryan Hammond, CEO of EIMS Africa and present economic system and such projects can have important
the Umoya Energy Wind Farm. impacts on species and ecosystems more generally. Measures to
Umoya Energy Wind Farm was the first REIPPPP wind farm compensate for negative impacts, known as biodiversity offsets, are
to reach its Commercial Operations Date in February 2014. increasingly being used by governments and the private sector.
During the development phase, extensive consultation was Biodiversity offsets: measurable conservation outcomes
undertaken to ensure that the impact on the environment, as a designed to compensate for adverse and unavoidable impacts of
result of the construction of the Wind Farm, was minimised. The projects, in addition to prevention and mitigation measures.
recommendation proposed was that Umoya Energy, in partnership
with SANParks, would manage the land as a conservation area. Contact EIMS Africa, Phone 021 671-1400, info@eimsafrica.com,
Since signing the original memorandum of understanding, back https://eimsafrica.com
in August 2012, EIMS Africa has actively engaged and collaborated
with SANParks to ensure that the Conservation Area has been
effectively managed to eradicate Alien Vegetation and restore the
land to its original natural biodiverse state.
“The Agreement not only focuses on the environmental
management of the conservation area, but also makes provision
for a number of economic development opportunities for local
contractors. This innovative thinking has resulted in a number of
tangible wins including the restoration of the natural biodiversity,
a reduction in the risk of veld fires, and a number of direct
benefits to the local community including skills development, local
employment and local enterprise development,” added Hammond.
The Agreement between Umoya Energy and SANParks was
the culmination of over a year of extensive consultation and
negotiation with SANParks, SANParks’ advisors and Umoya Energy.
This agreement will endure for the full operating life of the project,
i.e. February 2034.
Umoya Energy owns three adjoining farms with a combined
area of approximately 2 400 hectares. Roughly half of this land was
designated as a conservation area and is managed by SANParks.
The offset area of 1 183.3995 ha was declared in February 2017
as per government gazette in terms of Section 20 of the National
Environmental Management.
As reported by SANParks [https://gef5pa.org/wp-content/
uploads/2021/11/GEF5-PA-Project-Umoya-Biodiversity-

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