The transition to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) reached a new milestone as Environment Bank hosted the UK’s first dedicated summit focused on BNG for large-scale infrastructure. With mandatory BNG for NSIPs coming into force in May 2026, more than 300 senior representatives from government, construction, energy, transport, water, waste and the environmental sector gathered to examine how nationally significant development can integrate biodiversity into project planning and delivery.
The Environment Act requires all NSIPs to deliver a net increase of at least 10% in biodiversity. As digital construction teams, developers, and infrastructure owners refine their strategies for long-term environmental outcomes, understanding how BNG interacts with planning, design and consent processes is becoming central to project governance.
Aligning nature recovery
The summit opened with remarks from Toby Perkins, MP for Chesterfield and Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, who emphasised the significance of the upcoming policy shift. He noted that BNG has the capacity to align nature recovery with economic growth and support sustainable infrastructure delivery. Citing the Committee’s recent findings on sustainability and housing growth, he underscored that nature restoration can progress alongside the construction of new infrastructure, provided developers plan early and engage with the emerging BNG market.
Recent analysis commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts suggests the BNG sector could generate £250 million in annual economic activity and support more than 2,450 full-time jobs across England. This growth reflects rising demand for measurable biodiversity outcomes, consistent reporting frameworks and long-term habitat creation.
Nature-positive growth
According to Catherine Spitzer, CEO of Environment Bank, the market is expanding rapidly as infrastructure developers adopt BNG as a structured approach to achieving nature-positive growth. Environment Bank’s network of more than 150 Habitat Banks, formally listed on the Biodiversity Gain Sites Register, demonstrates increasing availability of off-site biodiversity solutions that can support NSIP-scale development. The organisation is already working with major infrastructure operators, including National Grid and Network Rail, as well as supporting regeneration projects such as the new Everton Stadium.
Speakers highlighted that NSIPs, due to their scope and complexity, must consider BNG from the earliest design stages. Early integration will be essential to avoid delays in the Development Consent Order (DCO) process and to ensure that biodiversity uplift is realistically deliverable within project timelines. Contributions from Natural England, Arup, WSP, Mott MacDonald, Balfour Beatty, Cornerstone Barristers and others explored the technical, ecological and legal implications of BNG for infrastructure planning. Discussions examined digital tools for habitat assessment, approaches to risk management, and how long-term stewardship requirements intersect with design, construction and asset management.
Data-driven planning
For the digital construction sector, the introduction of mandatory BNG for NSIPs reinforces the importance of data-driven planning, geospatial insight and integrated lifecycle monitoring. As infrastructure owners prepare for the May 2026 deadline, clarity, consistency and early collaboration will be key to meeting statutory BNG requirements while supporting national infrastructure delivery.
The summit demonstrated that BNG for nationally significant infrastructure is moving into its implementation phase, and that industry, government and environmental partners are committed to ensuring the policy delivers long-term value for nature and communities.
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