Understanding Biodiversity Net Gain

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a concept that the UK development industry will need to familiarise itself with before November 2023.

In 2018, the government led a consultation on net gain. It set out a 2-year implementation period for mandatory BNG.

Once the Environmental Bill received royal assent and it became known as The Environment Act 2021. Some areas are still to be explained but there is some good information available about what needs to be achieved.

What is Biodiversity?

The WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature) explains biodiversity as

‘All the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area – the variety of animals, plants, fungi and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms works together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life.’

So in simple terms it’s the variety of different living organisms in a specific area.

In a 2019 State of Nature Report, it suggested there has been a 13% decline in the abundance of wildlife in the UK since the 1970’s. Previously legislation and policies failed to have a significant impact which leads us to BNG.

What is Biodiversity Net Gain?

It is an approach to development that aims to achieve a measurable increase in biodiversity. This increase comes as a result of a development project or activity.

The goal of BNG is to compensate for the unavoidable impacts that developments have on biodiversity.  This is achieved by creating new habitats, restoring degraded ecosystems, or enhancing existing habitats to support more biodiversity.

For example, if a development project results in the loss of a certain habitat, a BNG approach would require that a greater level of habitat be restored or created. This is to ensure that overtime the level of biodiversity is improved because of development, rather than being reduced, like it has in the UK.

The Environment Act 2021 looks to ensure that biodiversity is maintained and improved in the UK.

Key Points From the Environment Act 2021

Under the Environment Act 2021, all planning permission granted in England needs to deliver a 10% increase in a site’s biodiversity level. Developers need to maintain previous biodiversity levels but have to deliver at least a 10% gain against a sites baseline.

To reach this 10% gain, every planned development will need to find out the sites baseline biodiversity score. The site will be scored against a biodiversity metric developed by Defra. This score will then allow developers to design their project in accordance with BNG planning legislation.

Once a baseline score has been confirmed, developers can design & plan a development to achieve a 10% biodiversity gain. They should implement the mitigation hierarchy which has four clear steps – avoid, minimise, restore, and offset. This aims to assist designers & planners in making considered decisions about which on-site areas should be avoided, maintained, or restored. However, not in every case can a development achieve a 10% gain on-site, so off-site solutions are available.

These off-site solutions will be achieved through a BNG credit scheme, in which developers will be able supplement their biodiversity score. They will be able to purchase these credits in order to achieve the required gain, however, this is seen as a last resort and should be used only when necessary.

Upon completion of the development a 30-year projection plan must be implemented. This is a legal requirement for any on-site development work.

The Benefits of Improving Biodiversity

Ecosystems – Biodiverse ecosystems such as forests & wetlands provide essential service to humanity. This includes air & water purification, climate regulation, soil conservation and pollination or crops.

Fighting Climate Change – Strong ecosystems and biodiversity can provide solutions to combat climate change. They help to regulate the earth’s climate by absorbing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and provide habitats to species that play a role in regulating the earth’s temperatures and weather patterns.

Helps the Economy – According to the World Economic Forum’s Nature Risk Rating Report, more than half of the world’s GDP ($44 trillion) is highly or moderately dependant on nature. Things such as ecotourism, forestry, and employment opportunities can provide economics opportunities for local communities.

Sources:

What is biodiversity? | Pages | WWF (worldwildlife.org)

Environment Act 2021 (legislation.gov.uk)