Here you can find expert insights to understand and successfully navigate Biodiversity Net Gain
Biodiversity Net Gain
What is Biodiversity Net Gain?
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an approach that aims to leave the natural environment in a better state than it was before. Under the Environment Act 2021, it is a mandatory requirement for developers (in England) to demonstrate that their project delivers 10% net gain in biodiversity.
The BNG process requires developers to plan into their project increases in natural habitats and ecological features.
Ecus can provide the full range of services from project-level BNG assessment and BNG plans, strategic BNG advice for local planning authorities and habitat design, creation and management services for compensation providers.
Biodiversity Net Gain
Insights
If you’re a developer, you must mitigate for biodiversity loss as part of your development plans. If you can’t do this, you must create compensatory habitat either on-site or off-site.
Our BNG services include project-level BNG assessments and plans, strategic advice for local planning authorities and landowners, and creation and management services for habitat compensation providers.
Ecus’s strategic and project-level experience in addressing Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) extends across a range of development types.
In advance of the Biodiversity Net Gain requirements of the Environment Act, many of our clients have planned to implement their approaches and procedures to meet the requirements. As a result, our Ecology Teams have developed new approaches to meet these evolving requirements for both strategic, organisational-level services and project-level interventions.
As a multi-disciplinary consultancy with more than 60 ecologists and a habitats creation team across 10 offices in the UK, we are also able to provide national coverage. Our staff bring extensive experience in habitat accounting using the Biodiversity Metric 3.0, JNCC Phase 1, National Vegetation Classification (NVC), the UK Habitats Classification, and the Environment Agency River Habitat Survey methodology. We also have experience in developing, implementing and monitoring habitat creation and management plans across a range of projects and sites in the context of BNG.