When I last wrote about the Species Survival Fund in 2024, we had just announced the 20 projects that would receive a share of £25million to help halt and reverse the decline in species abundance by preserving vital habitats. Two …
Discover how these community-owned plans are making a real difference, both locally and nationally.
From 2 November 2026, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) will become mandatory for new nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) applications in England. Bringing BNG into the NSIP system is an important next step for nature. It will ensure that much needed major infrastructure …
The decisions we take now to address climate change and restore nature will define the country that today’s young people will inherit. We want the next generation to inherit solutions, not challenges. Today’s young people are already helping to develop solutions – in their schools, communities, workplaces and families and bring different experiences, …
We are pleased to announce that yesterday we published and laid before parliament regulations which set in motion changes to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for projects requiring planning permission under the Town and Country Planning Act. Read this post to find out more.
Restoring nature across the government estate – and beyond During London Climate Action Week, Defra published the Government Estate Nature Plan (GENP), the first plan of its kind globally, setting out how nature will be restored across government-owned land in England. In this …
My name is Anika Dowling, and I am a policy advisor in Defra’s Peat team. In this blog I’ll set out what each new scheme offers and how you can apply. In the Environmental Improvement Plan, we announced our new Peatland Programme for 2026 to 2030. This month, we’ve launched …
We have reached a significant milestone in implementing Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). Earlier this week the final biodiversity gain statements were formally laid in Parliament and are now available on GOV.UK. These statements are central to applying BNG to the NSIP regime and accompany the two statutory instruments in …
Over the past two years, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) has started to change the way development and nature work together, and we’ve learned a huge amount from local authorities, developers and ecologists along the way. Last week, we published a set of updates that strengthen and streamline how BNG operates across the planning system. Read …
This month marks a significant milestone for soil, and in how we all can factor soils into our policy, research and decision making. The National Soil Map for England and Wales, alongside a range of additional LandIS datasets are now open.