Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 21
21
Acknowledged
BNG compliance consistency is fundamental for market trust and transparent operation.
Conclusion
Regulatory requirements are typically seen as an obstacle to market efficiency. In the case of BNG, compliance consistency is fundamental to trust in the system and the fair and transparent operation of the market. (Conclusion, Paragraph 122) 58
Government Response Summary
The government reaffirms its support for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) policy and details recent consultations on applying BNG to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) from May 2026, and improving BNG for minor and brownfield developments. They highlight commitment to economic growth and halting nature decline.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
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.