biodiversity net gain

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a development policy approach requiring that any construction or land use change that affects biodiversity must not merely offset that harm but must leave biodiversity in a measurably better state than before the development occurred — achieving a net positive outcome for habitats and species rather than simply mitigating losses; biodiversity net gain was incorporated into English planning law through the Environment Act 2021, requiring a minimum ten percent net gain for most new developments, assessed through a biodiversity metric developed by Natural England; implementation involves habitat condition surveys, the creation or enhancement of habitats either on the development site or through off-site biodiversity units, and long-term management and monitoring commitments; the policy represents a significant shift from the previous compensatory offsetting paradigm toward an explicitly positive environmental outcome requirement