What is Biodiversity Net Gain and why does it matter now?
Posted May 18, 2026 | by Shikha Mittal
On a spring morning, standing amongst the panels on an EDF power solutions solar site, we see Biodiversity Net Gain in action as wildflowers take hold, hedgerows thicken, and pollinators return.
But Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) isn’t just nice to have on our sites now, it’s a legal requirement and a big shift in how development is planned and delivered in the UK.
Biodiversity Net Gain is a new baseline for development
BNG has been a legal requirement for most developments in England since 2024 (under the Environment Act 2021) and the principle is that any development must leave biodiversity in a measurably better state than before development began. In most cases, developers are required to achieve at least a 10% net gain.
There’s a recognised methodology in place for BNG where habitats are converted into “biodiversity units” based on their type, condition and location. For developers that means assessing biodiversity before development, avoiding and minimising impact during the build, and creating or enhancing habitats on-site for the years after development is finished. If it isn’t possible to improve biodiversity on site then additional biodiversity improvements need to be secured off site.
Why does Biodiversity Net Gain matter now?
The impact of BNG is to grow from November 2026 as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), which cover large-scale energy, transport and infrastructure schemes, will be covered by the regulation.
NSIPs include some of the UK’s most complex and high-profile developments, and for these projects biodiversity considerations will now sit alongside carbon, cost and delivery timelines from the outset.
For NSIP projects this means earlier planning for biodiversity outcomes, increased demand for reliable, high-integrity biodiversity units and greater scrutiny on delivery and long-term management.
The challenge of delivering BNG
Delivering Biodiversity Net Gain starts with robust baseline surveys and means long-term habitat management of often 30 years or more, with ongoing monitoring and verification and clear governance and legal agreements.
If buying off–site, developers need to know that the biodiversity units they secure will stand up to scrutiny too, so credibility, transparency and delivery capability are becoming defining factors in the BNG market.
Why Biodiversity Net Gain matters to EDF power solutions
For EDF power solutions, Biodiversity Net Gain is not just a requirement to meet, it’s part of how we think about designing and delivering infrastructure for the long term. Our projects are built to operate for decades so we need to take a long-term view not just of of energy generation, but of the land we use and the communities we are part of.
BNG encourages us to think about our sites as landscapes that can support multiple outcomes with clean energy above, resilient habitats, and thriving ecosystems below.
At Burwell Solar Farm in Cambridgeshire for example, biodiversity was considered from the earliest stages of planning and a landscape plan introduced a range of habitats while protecting existing trees and hedgerows across the site.
The site now includes over 70 hectares of native grass and wildflower planting beneath and around the solar panels, along with new hedgerows, trees and wildlife corridors designed to support species movement and habitat connectivity.
BNG also aligns with our wider commitment to the communities around our projects as places where people live and work, and where the natural environment plays an important role in local identity and wellbeing. Supporting biodiversity is part of how we contribute positively to those communities over the long term.
As expectations of infrastructure continue to evolve, success is no longer defined only by the impacts we avoid, but by the positive outcomes we create. For EDF power solutions, that means supporting nature recovery alongside the transition towards An Electric Britain.
Shikha Mittal is a Senior Sustainability Manager in Strategy & Policy at EDF, where she leads the development of EDF UK’s sustainability strategy. Her work focuses on integrating sustainability into business decision-making, with particular emphasis on climate transition planning, supply chain, and environmental constraints such as biodiversity and water.
