The top 5 government actions needed for BNG success

Biodiversity net gain (BNG) was enforced by the UK’s Environment Act 2021 on February 12, 2024, for all large development sites, and April 2 for smaller sites in an aim to halt biodiversity decline. While the UK is making progress with this legislation, it is vital that it is done so in a way that maximizes the benefits and effectively manages risks.

BNG is in desperate need of practical modern solutions to achieve its well-intended ambitions; otherwise, it will be an uphill battle. Technology is a vital solution in scaling up BNG efforts and guaranteeing successful implementation.

In this blog, we discuss our top 5 recommendations aimed at supporting Defra and Natural England to secure the long-term success of BNG, and what we’d like to see the next UK government take on board:

1. Increase local authority capacity and support

Local authorities are at the forefront of BNG compliance and enforcement, responsible for ensuring that all relevant developments comply with the BNG requirements. But despite government funding allocated for BNG preparation, local authorities were not given additional resources specifically to monitor or enforce on-site gains. As a result, many are still under-resourced, lacking the necessary funding for future planning. A report released by the National Audit Office in May this year identified a range of risks in the long-term effectiveness of BNG including doubts about local authorities’ ability to enforce BNG compliance.

To meet the growing demand for BNG monitoring, the government must boost local authority capacity with adequate funding and explicitly mandate the use of technology. The increasing number of projects local authorities need to monitor makes the integration of technology imperative to avoid risking project success.

AiDash have developed BNG AI, an end-to-end management platform that uses AI and satellite technology to accurately assess sites, ensuring compliance with BNG requirements. Utilizing technology can provide highly accurate data and monitoring while significantly reducing administrative burdens.

2. Strengthen monitoring and reporting mechanisms

Robust monitoring and reporting systems are crucial for BNG’s success. The government must implement granular monitoring mechanisms that accurately track both on-site and off-site biodiversity gains. Regular reviews should be conducted to assess compliance and evaluate local authorities’ performance in enforcing BNG requirements.

AI and satellite technology can analyze vast amounts of data swiftly and accurately, providing insights that inform decision-making and ensure compliance. The government should encourage the use of these technologies to help meet the needs of BNG mandates, while clarifying issues surrounding Defra’s guidance on technology use. Currently, there is a lack of clear guidelines regarding minimum technological standards, mandatory utilization of technology, and the use of statutory metrics, resulting in ambiguity and acceptance of outdated practices.

This lack of clarity has led to the adoption of inadequate solutions and shortcuts, such as maps made on desktops using free tools like Google Maps, which neither scale nor result in accurate output.

3. Address skill shortages in ecology and planning

The UK faces significant shortages in the number of qualified ecologists and planners, with a 40% deficit in ecologists and a 25% deficit in planners. Even with a concerted and coordinated effort, there isn’t the adequate human resource to tackle the issues unaided. Ground based ecological surveys demand significant time and money, with outdated approaches to BNG costing developers £300,000/ day more than digital solutions.

To address this, the government should support a tech-driven approach that attracts top talent from the tech industry and develops precise, detailed solutions. Through innovative technology, it is possible to help ecologists radically scale up the quantity and quality of work they are able to deliver, turning weeks of work into days. Defra’s endorsement of such technology would be a significant step forward, ensuring the efficient and accurate delivery of BNG projects.

4. Ensure market readiness for biodiversity units

Biodiversity units (BUs) will inevitably become an important part of the BNG market as development progresses, offering a potential source of income for landowners and planners while restoring natural habitat. However, Defra does not know what the supply and demand of this market will be. This aspect, vital to the framework, cannot be reliably predicted and has received inadequate attention.

The government should actively support the development of a robust market for BUs, encouraging landowners and developers to participate. Technology can play a pivotal role in tracking and verifying biodiversity gains, providing the transparency needed for a functional market.

By offering real-time, highly accurate data, technologies can help stakeholders make informed decisions. This transparency and accuracy are crucial for gaining the trust of market participants and ensuring the effectiveness of biodiversity credits.

5. Clearly define legal and policy frameworks

The government must define the legal mechanisms for using income from biodiversity credits, ensuring compliance with Treasury rules. This includes developing transparent processes for utilizing these funds to enhance biodiversity.

Technology can create a single source of truth, helping local authorities adhere to regulations by tracking compliance and flagging potential issues. Establishing clear guidelines and metrics will prevent the adoption of inadequate solutions and shortcuts, ensuring high-quality, scalable outcomes.

AiDash recommends that Defra adopts its own standards for BNG. As Defra oversees a large number of nature improvement schemes, integrating statutory metrics would be greatly advantageous. This would serve as a model for effective practice that leverages technology, showcasing its essential role for implementing BNG at scale. It would also allow the landowners benefiting from Defra’s schemes to create biodiversity credits more easily and make them readily available in the market for offsetting. Without this, many projects may be forced to depend on costly statutory credits which could prove to be a significant barrier.

A Call to Action

With these recommendations, Defra will not only be making it possible for everyone involved to deliver high quality compliance, but also bring about real change in the biodiversity of the country. By leveraging technology, the government can create a transparent, evidence-based framework for biodiversity monitoring. This should not be viewed as an additional burden but as a necessary step towards meeting BNG requirements at scale. It will also spur the emergence of other technologies, such as AiDash Biodiversity Net Gain Management System (BNGAI), which can ultimately contribute to improving biodiversity in the UK.

With satellite surveying and AI analysis, tech-collected data as well as desk-top surveys and field assessments could be computed and analyzed up front. This would free the qualified ecologist or RCA assessor to spend more time on evaluative conclusions and recommendations.

Click here for more information on how AiDash BNGAI uses satellite and AI to deliver accurate results, while saving you time and money.

Shashin Mishra, VP of EMEA