SUMMER MAINTENANCE BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN OUTCO discusses your path to a greener, more sustainable future.
We all share a responsibility to our natural environment, but the creation of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) legislation and modern ESG reporting duties have brought this responsibility into sharp focus for many organisations. Rather than being treated as an afterthought, the ability to support business goals and objectives is making good environmental stewardship into a strategic advantage - and changing the game in outdoor FM. Far from being an obligation or a cost, grounds maintenance has gained a new role as an enabler of corporate best practice.
At OUTCO we can help your organisation take this step. We are committed to supporting our clients through all their biodiversity projects, with a suite of biodiversity services that not only ensure compliance with BNG requirements, but also enhance the ecological value of your sites.
Understanding biodiversity net gain In the context of development, the UK government defines BNG as ensuring that “habitats for wildlife are left in a measurably better state than they were before the development”. This duty to improve nature - either in quality or quantity - has become a mandatory obligation for developers under UK law, with a target of a 10% improvement.
Alongside this legislation has evolved a framework for defining, quantifying, and benchmarking the biodiversity of sites - and the degree of improvement over many years to ensure the lasting impact of this change. As a result, there are statutory biodiversity metrics for assessing habitat and a standardised formula for calculating biodiversity units. Given that not every site can support a thriving natural habitat, the UK’s approach to BNG also allows for the use of off-site biodiversity units. Hence, even when habitats can’t be improved at a particular development, other land owned by the
developer can be improved in lieu. As a last resort, biodiversity units can be purchased from a third party.
It's not just a question for developers, however: the law seeks lasting improvement and places a duty to maintain improved habitats for a minimum of 30 years. This makes this a growing priority for many landowners and businesses managing outdoor spaces, whether to maintain the long-term improvement of a site developed under this legislation or as an opportunity to leverage sources of valuable off-site biodiversity. Outside of the specific BNG legislation, the ability to demonstrate environmental best practice is also increasingly valuable for larger listed companies with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting obligations.
How to reach a greener, more
sustainable future Thanks to our expertise in habitat assessment, AI-driven analysis, and long-term natural capital management, OUTCO works with our clients to help them meet regulatory obligations efficiently and sustainably. Through practical and scalable solutions, organisations can take proactive steps to improve biodiversity across their sites - whether or not development is taking place.
To better understand how BNG can be achieved, let’s look at the key stages this typically involves:
1. Nature impact opportunity assessment This process establishes a baseline understanding of a site’s biodiversity value. It includes an on the ground habitat assessment and mapping stage, a desktop/GIS analysis of the local area and understanding of local biodiversity action plans and green corridors, leading to a comprehensive report that collates all these sources of data and insight with recommendations. Preliminary surveys can also be conducted that utilise a combination of high-resolution imagery, artificial intelligence (AI) analysis, and expert assessment to evaluate key biodiversity features.
2. Nature impact design strategy The next stage is to work with you to develop a site- specific nature recovery concept with detailed plans, budgets, and planting schedules. This is key to linking grounds maintenance work to your organisations BNG or ESG objectives - taking the insight from the initial assessments and makes it into a practical roadmap that helps bring clarity to your investment.
3. Habitat creation and implementation This is the implementation and delivery of the proposed biodiversity improvements, involving
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