A new report by the Environmental Audit Committee has cast doubt over the government’s commitment to policy and private sector engagement.
Under the internationally ratified Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework [GBF], the UK is currently legally bound to safeguard 30% of its land and sea territory for nature. This means protecting areas from all forms of pollution, species loss, and habitat destruction.
The ambitious protocol aims to halt biodiversity loss by the end of this decade, and realise the vision of humans living in harmony with nature by 2050. A product of the UN Biodiversity Conference [COP15] in Montreal, signed in 2022, estimates suggested around $200billion would be needed annually in order to meet requirements.
Coming into effect last year, the UK’s Biodiversity Net Gain [BNG] regulation was widely — and globally — seen as a game-changer, introducing a points based system that required new developments to positively improve local nature and contribute to habitat and species recovery by 10%.
However, as of 2025 just 9.1% of England’s seas and 3% of its land area are protected for natural ecosystems and a new push to increase housebuilding — including the loosening of regulation considered prohibitive by planning teams — is only adding more pressure.
According to the new EAC report, rebalancing the approach to creating new homes and safeguarding biodiversity is the only way to ensure targets are now met. Based on the current trajectory, it’s highly likely that this will not happen.
The cross party select committee raised particular concern over the 789 hectares of offsite habitat projects proposed through BNG which have now stalled and are awaiting government approval. In comparison, just 609 hectares of nature restoration schemes have got off the ground since the regulations were introduced.
Even if all blueprints on the table were to receive a green light, the combined total area covered by offsite BNG would still be dwarfed by the 5,428 hectares the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) had hoped for. More so, there are now fears a new Nature Restoration Fund could further distract further from biodiversity responsibilities.
This is despite the idea being tabled by policymakers earlier this year as a potential shortcut to rapid expansion of biodiversity efforts by bringing individual stakeholders together to work on larger habits banks, which could offer greater impact than a ‘patchwork’ of smaller contributions.
Adding further red flags, in 2021 the Conservative government set a target of securing £1billion of private investment in nature by 2030. But the EAC has been unable to find any robust mechanism by which this can be tracked and measured. A recommendation has been made for ministers to begin reporting to Parliament on progress within their constituencies. The review has also proposed a further 29 changes to BNG regulations, touching on how funds are distributed to make this process more flexible for local authorities. Meanwhile, natural capital should now be incorporated into all governmental spending decisions.
Image: Sigmund / Unsplash
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