Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Accepted
Successful nature markets require balance between scale, local accountability, and BNG benefits
Recommendation
For successful nature markets to be delivered there needs to be an effective balance between efficiencies of scale and local accountability which brings about local buy-in and transparency, ensuring that offsets are being delivered to a high standard. A method for this to be achieved is through facilitating developers to pool their BNG requirements across multiple developments, while ensuring that the benefit from nature restoration is available to local communities. (Conclusion, Paragraph 91)
Government Response Summary
The government outlined ongoing BNG consultations, including efforts to simplify the small sites metric and increase access to the off-site market for SME developers, aiming to make BNG delivery easier and ensure local biodiversity benefits.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Response to recommendation 16 & 20: The government continues to support BNG policy. We have recently launched two BNG consultations. The first is on applying BNG to NSIPs. The development of high-quality nature-positive infrastructure will support the Government’s mission of achieving sustainable economic growth to improve the prosperity of our country. BNG will be introduced for NSIPs from May 2026, and this consultation is seeking views on how BNG should be applied to NSIPs. The second consultation is on improving BNG for minor and brownfield development. This consultation is focused mainly on SME developers. It includes options around extending exemptions, simplifying the small sites metric and increasing ease of access to the off-site market to make it easier, quicker and cheaper for SME developers to deliver their BNG requirements. It also addresses specific challenges for brownfield developments. The government is committed to delivering sustained economic growth, as set out in our Plan for Change, and to building 1.5 million homes by the end of this Parliament. At the same time, we are committed to halting and reversing the decline of nature. BNG provides a clear framework to ensure development leaves biodiversity in a measurably better state, delivering health and wellbeing benefits to local communities, providing wider benefits for climate change adaptation and mitigation and contributing to our legally binding Environment Act 2021 targets for biodiversity.