Fighting climate change through biodiversity in real estate

Biodiversity encompasses the living organisms and ecosystems that underpin natural systems and human well-being. However, growing urbanisation and rising indoor lifestyles are contributing to an increasing disconnection between people and nature.

The UK’s Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) 2024 legislation introduces a mandatory 10% net gain in biodiversity value as a minimum requirement for both major projects and small sites, placing responsibility on the developer to enhance the ecosystem. This ensures that developers leave the environment in a more biodiverse state than it was prior to the developments.

Within real estate, a design approach that focuses on biodiversity and ecology can generate an overall improvement in the quality and sustainability of a building or project. Biodiversity is a strategic priority for cities, buildings, and real estate assets as it is a structural component of our economic and territorial systems.

Buildings are an opportunity to enhance urban biodiversity by creating ecologically valuable green spaces to support local wildlife and biodiversity, as well as promoting biophilic design and ecologically connected buildings. The aim with ecological incorporation into real estate is to reduce the island effect of individual structures and create a more interconnected and resilient urban ecosystem that benefits both nature and human life, while working with the environment rather than against it.

Nature can be integrated into the core design strategy for buildings – nature-based solutions (NBS) should be treated as an integral component and not just a decorative or secondary feature. By assessing the ecosystem, an ecologist can support certification schemes and provide advice for the different measures that can be implemented to promote biodiversity. This includes green infrastructure, nature-based engineering and water management, landscape integration, and support for local wildlife.