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Good practice

England Biodiversity Net Gain

United Kingdom · London · See the United Kingdom profile

Since February 2024, most development in England must deliver a measurable 10% biodiversity net gain in standardised biodiversity units — a statutory market for biodiversity, secured for at least 30 years and listed on a public register.

10 %
Mandatory biodiversity net gain requirement (since 12 February 2024)
30 years
Minimum legal habitat-securing period
England Biodiversity Net Gain

Details

Maturity
Scaling
Promoter
Natural England / Defra
Keywords
Biodiversity credits, Biodiversity credits / offsets, Multiple (development sites), offsets

Context

Under the Environment Act 2021, Biodiversity Net Gain became mandatory in England on 12 February 2024 (and from April 2024 for most development): developments must demonstrate a 10% net gain in biodiversity, measured in standardised biodiversity units via a statutory metric.

Objectives

Where on-site gains are insufficient, developers buy off-site units from habitat-creation 'gain sites' listed on a public Biodiversity Gain Site Register, with the created habitat secured by legal agreement for a minimum of 30 years.

Conclusions

It is the leading example of a government-mandated biodiversity-credit market, showing how a standardised unit and a public register can create durable demand for habitat creation.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k) — No national programme budget; cost is borne by individual developers who must fund on-site gains or purchase off-site biodiversity units.
Time to results
Long (> 3 years) — Mandatory since 12 February 2024 (April 2024 for most development); habitat must be secured for a minimum of 30 years.
Staffing & skills
Natural England / Defra — national biodiversity metric and regulatory oversight, Local planning authorities, compliance enforcement, Habitat-creation 'gain site' operators registered on the public Biodiversity Gain Site Register

Conditions for success

  • Standardised biodiversity metric applied consistently to measure net gain
  • Public Biodiversity Gain Site Register creating transparency and market demand
  • Legal agreements securing created/enhanced habitat for a minimum of 30 years

Where it fits

Governance type
statutory national regulatory mandate
Scale
national (England)
Income level
high-income

Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

Attachments

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