BNG launched “without all elements in place” – NAO

Biodiversity net gain was launched before it was fully ready, with the policy facing risks to its long-term effectiveness, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).

In a report published today (May 17), the public spending watchdog states that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) “launched a novel and complex biodiversity scheme without having all elements in place to ensure its long-term success”.

Mandatory biodiversity net gain (BNG), part of the Environment Act 2021, legislates that schemes in England must achieve a 10% improvement in BNG.

NAO’s publication, Implementing statutory biodiversity net gain, assesses whether DEFRA and Natural England have “made good and effective progress” in executing the new legislation.

It concludes that DEFRA needs to “manage a range of risks”, including whether a new biodiversity market emerges – the government is relying on the development of a private sector market for biodiversity units as an option for housebuilders to achieve BNG off site. NAO also indicated that it was not known if local authorities would effectively carry out compliance and enforcement.

NAO’s report notes that while stakeholders support BNG, pre-launch they were concerned about its implementation.

DEFRA is still developing its …