EAC Report Says Government Needs to Commit to BNG
The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has warned that without strong private investment and firm government backing, the UK risks missing its goal to protect 30% of land by 2030 and improve public access to nature. In a new report, the EAC stresses the importance of the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) policy, which requires developers to enhance biodiversity by at least 10%, either on-site, off-site, or through purchasing government-issued credits. The Committee calls on ministers to reaffirm their commitment to BNG amid concerns about a shift towards a state-run Nature Restoration Fund, which could undermine private investment and create uncertainty in nature markets.
To strengthen BNG, the EAC recommends enabling pooled investments to attract larger-scale funding and urges greater transparency through a public register of BNG sites and investors. It also calls for embedding natural capital principles into all government decision-making and for these to be reflected in the upcoming Spending Review. Annual progress reviews and clarity on the use of BNG credit revenues are also advised.
Finally, the Committee urges the Government to report on private investment progress and assess how the Nature Restoration Fund will impact BNG funding, alongside a swift response to current consultations on natural capital markets.
Environmental Audit Committee Chair, Toby Perkins MP, said: “No ifs, no buts: we need Ministers to facilitate private investment by setting out a clear commitment to the Biodiversity Net Gain policy. Biodiversity Net Gain is a ground-breaking approach which can secure genuine and lasting nature recovery in tandem with development in every corner of the country. Speculation that it might be ditched in favour of a broad-brush approach to state funding of nature restoration at scale risks undermining market confidence and further depleting nature in some communities. There is a real opportunity, through the Government’s commitment to growth, for nature to grow hand in hand with the economy. Failure to do this properly, and to keep on top of which projects are being invested in, will see green spaces slip away from already nature deprived communities.”