We’re currently in a biodiversity crisis, and we’re facing a global decrease in animal, insect and plant numbers. For built environment professionals in the UK, this creates a responsibility to ensure that any new development or refurbishment is designed to not only preserve nature, but also enhance it.

UKGBC’s Biodiversity and Environmental Net Gain Project aims to assist organisations in taking practical action on Biodiversity and Environmental Net Gain in light of changes to UK legislation in place for November of 2023, which will mandate a 10% biodiversity net gain on all new development.

As part of this project, UKGBC is excited to have onboarded several project partners, who will be forming a steering group, and a review group to help steer and shape the final output. They bring a range of expertise to ensure that the outcome is both communally created, but also represents a wide knowledge base and includes as much insights as possible.

This steering group hopes to:

Full Steering Group
NamePositionOrganisation
Neil HarwoodSustainable Development Director I UKIMEA BoardArup
Jenny RossSenior EcologistBuro Happold
Chris MossGreen Infrastructure ConsultantGreengage
Robert WinchSenior ESG ConsultantHoare Lea
Rebecca LydonAssociate, Smart Energy & SustainabilityHydrock
Amanda SkeldonClimate & Nature DirectorJLL
Ruth VoigtEnvironmental Sustainability LeaderLaing O’Rourke
Ewan OliverPublic Realm Development ManagerLendlease
Alan SommervilleESG Director, Sustainability, TritaxTritax Big Box
  • Explore key definitions and terminology to ‘demystify’ complex concepts.
  • Provide the necessary resources and information to allow the industry to surpass the minimum government standards of Biodiversity Net Gain including exploring a variety existing case study examples at multiple scales.
  • Convene organisations who wish to develop their understanding of BNG/ENG concepts and available organisational strategies.
  • Highlight the diversity of resources available to facilitate BNG/ENG, outside of traditional understandings and frameworks.
  • Ensure the BNG/ENG strategies used on site align with Government Policy changes as part of the Environment Bill and support long-term authentic net positive change.

We’re pleased to share the project partners for this workstream are Arup, AXA IM, Buro Happold, Greengage, Hoare Lea, JLL, Laing O’Rourke, Lendlease and Tritax Big Box.

“Our industry is gearing up to deliver biodiversity net gain, as it clearly represents an important area of investment and business growth, alongside crucial environmental protection.

BNG is vital for our sector to play its part in meeting our legal recovery target or whilst also delivering green jobs and higher quality development. We have seen businesses across our sector welcome the potential of biodiversity net gain to deliver a clear consistent system for addressing our biodiversity obligations in relation to new development, helping to deliver development, nature recovery and growth.

Right now, we need the government to ensure net gain is enacted as planned in November 2023. Any delay or disruption would risk significant economic costs to the sector, and harm the groundswell of investment we are seeing.

The Resilience & Nature team are excited to be working with the Steering and Review groups on this pivotal area for the built environment, expanding awareness and understanding of these concepts to create resilient, healthy environments that embrace and protect nature.”

Hannah Giddings, Senior Advisor for Resilience and Nature at UKGBC

This project is the latest in UKGBC’s Resilience & Nature programme, which has been made possible this year thanks to the generous support of our Programme Partners: Buro Happold, Hoare Lea, Hydrock and JLL.

Resilience & Nature Programme Partners

With thanks to our programme partners who make our work on nature possible.

To learn more about the project, contact Resilience.nature@ukgbc.org

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