Asia

At present, the majority of offset-like programs in Asia fall within the category of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The region's EIA policies may lay a framework for a biodiversity markets by requiring adverse environmental impacts to be mitigated, but so far no third-party mitigation systems are known to be operated in Asia. Beyond government-led actions, voluntary and industry initiatives are arising in Asia, driven primarily by increasing public criticism of the environmental and social impacts of extractive and agribusiness industries.