Network Rail's Net Positive for Biodiversity
Network Rail Infrastructure Projects has committed to net positive outcomes for biodiversity. In this webinar, you will hear about Network Rail IP’s approach and progress to date with its country-wide Net Positive pilots, its lessons learnt and plans for Net Positive to become business-as-usual by March 2019.
Biodiversity offsetting is controversial: people suspect it of being an easy way for developers to buy their way out of conservation requirements. Yet, if offsetting is necessary as the last stage in the Mitigation Hierarchy, it can ensure that actions to compensate for unavoidable habitat loss benefit local and national conservation priorities. Also, offsetting requires measurable conservation outcomes compared with all biodiversity losses from a project. So it is not just focused on species named in wildlife laws and planning regulations, but takes a more holistic approach by ensuring ‘no net loss’ of biodiversity as a minimum.
Network Rail Infrastructure Projects (IP) is using the Mitigation Hierarchy to make a “measurable net positive contribution towards biodiversity in the UK”. With restrictions on planting trees along the railway, biodiversity offsetting is only considered as a last resort. When offsetting is necessary, Network Rail IP applies good practice principles of offsetting that provide a robust and challenging framework to achieve development with net positive outcomes for nature conservation.
This webinar is for all those involved with the Net Positive process, notably environmental and sustainability professionals, ecological consultants, local authorities and statutory agencies. It is for those who have a basic understanding of the concept of offsetting. By attending the webinar, you will learn about the good practice principles of biodiversity offsetting that underpin Network Rail IP’s approach and how these are being applied in practice.
Republic of Ireland: Current Bog Restoration in Ireland
Our special event was hosted by the IEMA Republic of Ireland regional network, looking at bog restoration in Ireland.
How green is your site and could you make it more beneficial for your staff and nature? Our Midlands event welcomed guest speakers to discuss the importance of encouraging your workforce to engage with biodiversity in a way that deepens understanding and morale within your organisation.
How can we find solutions to the complex challenges that we, and our natural environment face? Our Wales webinar helped attendees gain insight and updates on the work of Natural Resources Wales, who have been developing a series of innovative Area Statements covering seven separate yet hugely diverse parts of the country.
Our Yorkshire and Humberside coffee morning looked at an introduction to biodiversity net gain (BNG) and how a minimum 10% BNG can be achieved on new development, with real project examples in the Yorkshire region.
This digital event was run by the North Wales regional group where three organisations presented on their biodiversity work and how they assist in Wildlife Preservation in North Wales.
The event helps attendees to better understand what Natural Capital, Environmental and Biodiversity Net Gain are, providing an update on the current position with respect to the 25 year plan; introduce good practice in designing development projects to follow Biodiversity Net Gain Principles, an update on DEFRA’s new Biodiversity Metric 2.0 and emerging British Standards.
In this session we discussed biodiversity net gain and how a wide-scale conservation project is aiming to reverse the decline in farmland biodiversity in Scotland.
