Borderless Nature Policy: Rethinking Biodiversity Offsetting through Transnational Cooperation (BIO-TRANSCOOP)

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), adopted at COP-15 in 2022, set ambitious conservation targets, including the 30-by-30 Agreement. The European Union has responded through policies such as the Nature Restoration Law and Green Deal, yet operational challenges persist due to unclear implementation strategies and indicators. This research examines regulatory approaches to biodiversity offsetting (BO) in transnational governance, focusing on Luxembourg’s Greater Region and the Nordic Cooperation as comparative case studies. Despite growing interest in BO as a market-based conservation tool, research on its implementation within transnational economies remains limited. Existing scholarship has explored the “trickle-down” effect of international biodiversity frameworks on regional governance, but the role of smaller transnational political bodies in policy adoption and effectiveness is underexplored. This study investigates whether transnational regulatory approaches improve BO effectiveness by analyzing the interplay between development pressures, environmental governance, and financial mechanisms. Methodologically, the study applies Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and fuzzy-set analysis to assess BO policies, integrating policy document reviews, semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, and case comparisons. Findings will contribute to the design of effective BO regulations, inform biodiversity finance strategies, and enhance policy coherence across transnational governance structures. By addressing gaps in biodiversity finance and offsetting governance, this research will provide a framework for strengthening nature-based solutions in the European Union.