Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an approach to development that aims to leave nature in a measurably better state than before. This is achieved by embedding the mitigation hierarchy into development design through a biodiversity metric, highlighting impacts on, and opportunities for nature.
Each year, we host a Biodiversity Net Gain Virtual Symposium to bring together professionals from a range of sectors to discuss their experiences and lessons learned from working with BNG.
The next event will take place on Wed 18 Mar 2026. We’re currently looking for speakers for this event and are particularly interested in ecologists that would like to present case studies of offsite and onsite BNG delivery. Submit a speaker application through our short Speaker Application Form.
The presentations from our 2023 and 2024 Biodiversity Net Gain Virtual Symposium events are now available to watch below. The 2025 event presentations will be available later in the year.
Biodiversity Net Gain Virtual Symposium 2025
- BNG: A Big Issue for Small Sites? with Peter Massini (Future Nature Consulting)
- Assessing Habitat Condition for BNG: How Consistent Are Ecologists? with Ivonne Salamanca (Bangor University)
- Considering Bats in Biodiversity Net Gain with Jo Ferguson (Bat Conservation Trust)
- Mandatory BNG in Practice: Findings from an Early Research Project with Ellie Savage (Institution of Environmental Sciences)
Biodiversity Net Gain Virtual Symposium 2024
- Biodiversity Net Gain: March 2024 Update from Natural England with Dr Nick White (Natural England)
- Biodiversity Net Gain: The Warwickshire Way with David Lowe (Warwickshire County Council)
- Local Innovation: How LERC Services Are Shaping Up with Mandy Rudd (Association of Local Environmental Record Centres)
- Habitat Condition Assessment Methods for BNG with Dr Dan Carpenter (Digital Ecology)
Biodiversity Net Gain Virtual Symposium 2023
- Biodiversity Net Gain: A Policy and Metric Update (March 2023) with Dr Nick Ian White (Natural England)
- Delivering Biodiversity Net Gain for Infrastructure Projects with Dr Julia Baker CEnv MCIEEM (Mott MacDonald)
- Biodiversity Net Gain: The Wiltshire Council Perspective with Rachel Jones (Wiltshire Council)
- The Wildlife Trusts Habitat Banking Investment with Martin Varley (Cheshire Wildlife Trust)
Biodiversity Net Gain: March 2024 Update from Natural England
Dr Nick White (Natural England)
An update on the implementation of mandatory BNG for major developments under the Town and Country Planning Act and the latest about the extension of BNG to minor (small sites) developments.
Biodiversity Net Gain: The Warwickshire Way
David Lowe (Warwickshire County Council)
Warwickshire was one of the pilots of Biodiversity Net Gain and has been the first local authority to successfully implement it in practice. Warwickshire’s metric has been used to form the approved metric for national use. Bold claims indeed! So how has Warwickshire achieved BNG so far and what else is there left to do?
Local Innovation: How LERC Services Are Shaping Up
Mandy Rudd (Association of Local Environmental Record Centres)
For the past few years, the Association of Local Environmental Records Centres (ALERC) and its members have been advocating for the use of local data services to inform the design, delivery and ongoing monitoring of biodiversity net gain in England. This talk will provide an update on key developments at a national level and will provide examples of innovation at a local level.
Habitat Condition Assessment Methods for BNG
Dr Dan Carpenter (Digital Ecology)
Habitat condition is a key component of the data required to calculate BNG units in the DEFRA metric. Criteria for habitat condition are provided with the metric, but no method for condition assessments accompanies these criteria. How then do we collect robust data to support condition assessments to ensure regulators have confidence in our condition assessments? Dan will introduce an emerging method for condition assessments that takes a standardised approach to data collection to ensure condition assessments are underpinned by robust data and evidence.
Biodiversity Net Gain: A Policy and Metric Update (March 2023)
Dr Nick White, Natural England
The presentation will update the audience on the forthcoming mandatory approach to biodiversity net gain, encompassing the latest Government policy announcements and what these mean for ecologists, developers, planners and land owners. It will also provide an update about the biodiversity metric that will be used for mandatory biodiversity net gain.
Delivering Biodiversity Net Gain for Infrastructure Projects
Dr Julia Baker CEnv MCIEEM, Mott MacDonald
To design Biodiversity Net Gain, Ecologists must balance the unit calculation of the Biodiversity Metric with the Metric’s trading rules, whilst ensuring the habitat creation and enhancement of a BNG design are feasible, will endure for at least 30 years and contribute towards conservation. This presentation explores this balance, with key considerations and pitfalls to avoid for BNG to genuinely deliver long-term and meaningful outcomes on the ground.
Biodiversity Net Gain: The Wiltshire Council Perspective
Rachel Jones, Wiltshire Council
Wiltshire Council have been moving from securing no net loss to net gain and offering solutions to developers to help deliver nature recovery across Wiltshire. Rachel Jones will discuss Wiltshire Council’s approach to Biodiversity Net Gain and how they have been offering solutions to developers to help deliver nature recovery across Wiltshire. These solutions include opportunities on our own land holding, working with wider landowners and farmers for strategic sites, and securing on-site enhancements on development sites. Wiltshire Council are also looking at how to combine solutions with wider community and environmental benefits and how to address the expected resourcing implications for the Council.
The Wildlife Trusts Habitat Banking Investment
Martin Varley, Cheshire Wildlife Trust
The Wildlife Trusts Habitat Banking Investment project aims to create new financing structures to meet near-term demand for BNG credits and prepare to accelerate delivery when national policy is implemented. Their partnership has developed a new model to enable Trusts to leverage private finance and secure biodiversity unit agreements with developers to secure strategic land and create new habitats, reducing current reliance on piecemeal grant funding and offset payments.
Event Partner
Our annual Biodiversity Net Gain Virtual Symposium programme is delivered jointly by the Biological Recording Company and Digital Ecology.
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