Manifesto for a « KAMOA » sequence at a territorial level: initiatives for action.

Abstract

Among the main points of criticism regarding the mitigation hierarchy (referred to herein as AMO sequence), its prioritization (avoidance first, then minimization and offset last) is often questioned. Applied at a project scale, the triptych might concentrate most of the action around minimization and offset without attesting to its effectiveness. As a result, avoidance measures are usually marginalized and offsets may be ephemeral and far from the no-net-loss objectives established in 2016 by the French law for the recovery of biodiversity, nature and landscapes. In order to rebalance the mitigation hierarchy, we propose to step back on the spatial and temporal aspects to include it in a broader process based on the knowledge of a territory and support for the planned actions. This KAMOA sequence (for Know - Avoid - Minimize- Offset- Accompany) suggests redistributing the undertaken efforts to better define the avoidance step and to make sure that the ecological impact of offsets are consistent within an ecocomplex. We will illustrate, through two examples, the way in which different actors in a territory (an offset operator and a project holder) can be involved in this approach and the benefits that they can expect from it.