Biodiversity Net Gain and SmartWaste for sustainable construction

Biodiversity Net Gain: preserving and enhancing ecosystems 

BNG is a method that aims to increase the abundance of plants and animals in an area by preserving existing habitats and adding resilience to ecosystems. These ecosystems provide life-sustaining processes, such as agriculture and pollution reduction. By aligning construction with sustainable practices and regulations, BNG helps mitigate the impact of the built environment on biodiversity. 

To preserve and reinforce the biodiversity of land that assets occupy, the UK government has made BNG mandatory for all England-based developers since early 2024. Newly constructed commercial, residential, and industrial assets are now required to achieve a net gain of 10% biodiversity. Most developments have adopted BNG from 12 February 2024, with smaller sites following suit from 2 April of the same year. As of 3rd April 2024, all qualifying developments in England are subject to these BNG requirements, marking a significant step towards sustainable construction practices and the protection of natural habitats. 

Implementing BNG offers a range of benefits, including: 

1. Environmental Benefits: 

• Protecting natural habitats and species 
• Contributing to cleaner air and water through maintained ecosystems 

2. Social Benefits: 

• Creating accessible green spaces for residents, promoting wellbeing 
• Providing educational opportunities to connect with the environment 

3. Economic Benefits: 

• Generating job opportunities in sustainable landscaping and ecology 
• Enhancing property values through improved living environments 
• Crucially, biodiversity preservation ensures civil security by supporting agriculture, pollination, and other life-sustaining ecosystem services. 

 

How SmartWaste enhances BNG and sustainable construction practices 

To support the construction industry in meeting BNG requirements and achieving net zero carbon goals, software solutions like SmartWaste are increasingly valuable. Developed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE), SmartWaste is a comprehensive platform that enables real-time tracking and detailed reporting of environmental performance. 

SmartWaste offers specific benefits for implementing and managing BNG: 

1. Ecological Impact & Biodiversity Management: 

• Allows clients to measure, manage, and mitigate the impact of their activities on local ecosystems 
• Ensures that negative effects are minimised while biodiversity is enhanced 
• Enables users to track the status and completion of necessary actions identified in ecology surveys 

2. Compliance and Reporting: 

• Simplifies meeting BNG requirements and other compliance targets 
• Provides clear, actionable insights into a project's biodiversity performance and evidence of compliance 

In addition to its BNG-specific features, SmartWaste offers a range of other benefits to the construction industry: 

1. Waste Tracking and Reporting: 

• Advanced tracking tools for real-time monitoring and detailed reporting on waste types, routes, and management 
• Enables compliance with waste management regulations and helps reduce environmental impact 

2. Carbon and Energy Reporting: 

• Manages and reports on a project's full carbon footprint, including energy usage, embodied carbon, waste treatment, water delivery, and transport 
• Supports the industry's efforts to achieve net zero carbon targets 

3. Additional Features: 

• Supports materials management, social value evaluation, pre-demolition & pre-refurbishment audits, and more 
• Enables integration with third-party software applications through an Application Programme Interface (API) 

SmartWaste, BREEAM and Biodiversity Net Gain 

As the construction industry adapts to the challenges posed by the climate crisis, the early integration of BNG principles into projects is crucial. BREEAM and SmartWaste are essential tools that facilitate this integration, ensuring that ecology becomes an integral part of a development's DNA rather than an afterthought. 

BREEAM Version 7, due for launch later in 2024, places significant emphasis on ensuring compliance with BNG regulations.  

Through this science-based, modular update, Version 7 offers alignment with the BNG principles through surveying, protecting, enhancing and managing the biodiversity on new build sites in the UK. It also enables project teams to seamlessly integrate ecological considerations into built environment projects. 

By prioritising biodiversity enhancement from project conception, BREEAM Version 7 plays a key role in nurturing a more nature-centric approach within the construction industry. 

BREEAM provides local authorities with a structured process and framework for achieving net biodiversity gain. It offers detailed metrics and measurement tools to help project teams navigate the complexities of BNG, measure biodiversity losses and gains, and align their projects with BNG requirements. BREEAM also ensures the early detection of issues arising from legislation, minimising costs and impact. 

SmartWaste, as a pioneer in construction waste management, environmental monitoring, and sustainability software, is transforming how projects approach sustainability. By facilitating reduced waste, controlled impacts, and boosted Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance, SmartWaste has made significant contributions to the industry. It has reported over 1.45 million tonnes of CO2 from energy and diverted around 90% of 89 million tonnes of waste from landfill across over 27,000 projects worth £305 billion. 

SmartWaste's real-time tracking and detailed reporting tools, including support for 3,782 BREEAM schemes, aid project teams in meeting net zero carbon and BNG goals. Its robust carbon and waste analytics, materials oversight, and social value evaluation capabilities help convert sustainability obstacles into strategic advantages. 

By integrating BNG, BREEAM, and SmartWaste into development projects from the outset, the construction industry can create a built environment that not only meets our needs but also supports and enhances the natural world. Through the combination of innovative technology, robust frameworks, and a commitment to environmental stewardship, the sector is poised to drive positive change and contribute to a more sustainable future. 

Learn more about SmartWaste