Biodiversity & Environmental Net Gain

Policy Note

The Land, Environment, Economics and Policy (LEEP) Institute has researched various aspects of Biodiversity & Environmental Net Gain. This Policy Note sets out the findings of this research and a series of Recommendations to improve delivery of Net Gain in practice.

Key Recommendations to Improve Delivery of Biodiversity Net Gain are:

The UK’s Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) policy is a major step forward in addressing biodiversity loss.

However, its potential is constrained by its complexity and implementation. The following simple changes could drastically improve its performance:

  1. Strengthen and better implement BNG as a tool for tackling the biodiversity crisis.
  2. Simplify and refine the Biodiversity Metric
    to focus on wildlife at greatest risk.
  3. Biodiversity improvement, public access
    to greenspace and wider environmental
    improvements are all important but need
    separate provision.
  4. Chosing the right place (and right funds) is required for biodiversity improvement.
  5. Chosing the right place for people is required (where this objective remains).
BNG-Policy-Note_Mar2026_FinalDownload

Cite as:
Tingley D, Narbett L, Addicott E, Binner A, Balmford B, Day B H, Groom B, Mancini M and Bateman, I J. (2025). LEEP Institute Policy Note: Delivering Biodiversity Net Gain in practice. LEEP Institute, University of Exeter.