The National Directorate for Environment and Climate Change (DINAMC), with the support of the COMBO+ Programme partners – the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND)- held on 29 October 2025, in Maputo, the third operational meeting of the Technical-Scientific Unit (UTC) for Biodiversity Offsets.

The meeting brought together 16 representatives from government institutions, academia, civil society, and the private sector to strengthen coordination and implementation of biodiversity offset processes. The UTC is a multisectoral body established in 2023 to support the Government of Mozambique in implementing Ministerial Diploma n.º 55/2022 of 19 May, which establishes the rules and procedures requiring Category A+ and A development projects, those with significant residual negative impacts on biodiversity, to prepare Biodiversity Offset Management Plans (BOMP) in Mozambique.

During the meeting, the latest tools and actions developed under the COMBO+ Program to support the implementation of the Biodiversity Offset Directive (Ministerial Diploma No. 55/2022) were presented, including:

  • The Environmental Guide for Project Proponents in Mozambique, a practical brochure in Portuguese, English, and Mandarin, that guides project developers on environmental requirements to be met before submitting their projects to the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAAP). The guide is under approval by MAAP and will soon be disseminated to various stakeholders.
  • The progress in developing a metric for the African Elephant, designed to quantify biodiversity losses and gains associated with Category A+ and A development projects. This metric will be an essential tool to guide projects that may affect elephant populations or their habitats, ensuring effective offset measures.
  • The monitoring of first Biodiversity Offset Management Plan (BOMP) in the country, developed by Kenmare Resources PLC, a mining company operating the Moma Titanium Minerals Mine since 2007. Kenmare is the first project developer in Mozambique to prepare a BOMP, marking a pioneering milestone in the practical application of national legislation on biodiversity offsets.

The COMBO+ Program (2021 – 2025) is a partnership between WCS, BIOFUND and the Government of Mozambique, aiming to help the country develop and implement policies that  align economic development with biodiversity conservation. The program works across four key areas: i) policies, legislation, and sectorial engagement; ii) technical tools, guidelines, and data production; iii) capacity building; and iv) establishing implementation mechanisms for mitigating development impacts on biodiversity and offsetting residual impacts.

Since the creation of the UTC, training sessions and experience-sharing activities have strengthened national teams in identifying sensitive biodiversity areas and using ecological metrics to assess biodiversity losses caused by development projects in ecosystems and species, as well as potential gains resulting from offset actions.

It was agreed that the next ordinary meeting of the UTC will be held in the first quarter of 2026, in Maputo, to review the ongoing BOMP implementation and to map new potential areas to receive biodiversity offsets.

This initiative is supported by the COMBO+ Program, funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Fonds Français pour l’Environnement Mondial (FFEM), and the Government of Sweden, through the Biodiversity Conservation Program. These partners support Mozambique in aligning economic development with biodiversity conservation, contributing to the global goals of “No Net Loss” and “Net Gain of Biodiversity.

Photos:

1. Maria Matediane, membro suplente da UTC intervindo numa sessão de plenária.

2. Foto de família dos participantes da reunião