England brings in biodiversity rules to force builders to compensate for loss of nature

From this week, developments must result in more or better natural habitat than before, in a move hailed as one of the world's most ambitious

England is launching a biodiversity credit scheme this week that attempts to force all new road and housebuilding projects to benefit nature, rather than damage it.

The nature market", called biodiversity net gain (BNG), means all new building projects must achieve a 10% net gain in biodiversity or habitat. If a woodland is destroyed by a road, for example, another needs to be recreated. This can happen either on site or elsewhere.