Biodiversity Net Gain

One Way to Protect Our Wildlife Habitats

Wildlife in the UK is under threat. Around one in six species are at risk of becoming extinct in the UK, according to the 2023 State of Nature report. One cause of this decline is habitat destruction. The same survey found that of all habitats vital to wildlife survival, only 14% were in a good ecological state, including just 7% of woodlands and 25% of peat-lands. Strong change is required to reverse this damage. Recently introduced Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) regulations could be the answer to saving wildlife habitats in England.

What is Biodiversity Net Gain?

Biodiversity Net Gain is a strategy to protect nature from destruction and increase the number and variety of plants, animals and insects in England. In early 2024, new regulations were introduced to ensure that developers replace the natural habitats destroyed during construction, such as woodlands, streams and hedgerows. The regulations also ensure that developers not only replace but increase biodiversity levels, leaving nature in a better state than before development started.

Creating New Wildlife Habitats

Working with ecologists, developers are now required by law to create suitable new wildlife habitats to replace what is lost during development. For example, if a woodland is cut down to build new houses, a new one must be planted somewhere else. If they are unable to create new habitats on-site, they can create them off-site, purchase habitat units elsewhere, or purchase statutory BNG credits from the government.

How do We Measure Biodiversity?

To see a measurable improvement in biodiversity in England, the regulations state that developers must increase biodiversity by 10% for at least thirty years by creating new habitats for wildlife to thrive in. Ecologists will monitor the new habitats, measuring the biodiversity value of the area in standardised units. The number of units a habitat has depends on its size, quality, location and type.

Will Biodiversity Net Gain Work?

Since the new habitats must be monitored for thirty years, this strategy aims to repair nature in the long term. But this means there could be some challenges down the road. Some are concerned that there is a lack of staff and systems in place to successfully measure biodiversity and enforce the creation of new habitats. Also, there may not be enough ecologists to oversee the creation of appropriate habitats and evaluate them correctly.

We cannot be certain that BNG is the silver bullet that will resolve issues around biodiversity, ecology and climate change, but Buckingham Canal Society, in partnership with IWA and CRT, are looking to partner with some organisations to help them meet their BNG quota.

Buckingham Canal Society is passionate about seeing the Buckingham arm of the Grand Union Canal back underwater and with weekly efforts put in by our volunteers, part of our work involves restoring biodiversity along that canal where people can return to enjoying nature walks and serenity.

Want to help us improve biodiversity? Discover our volunteering opportunities here.