RSUA welcomes DAERA exploration of biodiversity net gain

RSUA has welcomed the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ (DAERA) commitment to explore and review options around the adoption of a biodiversity net gain (BNG) approach within the planning system in Northern Ireland by 2028.

This follows consistent engagement with DAERA and its Minister, Andrew Muir, on the importance of introducing BNG in a way that does not add undue bureaucracy.

Consideration of BNG was one of four actions RSUA indicated an interest in pursuing in collaboration with the Department as part of our response to its public consultation on a Draft Nature Recovery Strategy.

Future actions of interest

In addition to BNG, RSUA has expressed an interest in working with the Department on other areas of policy outlined in the Strategy, guided primarily by RSUA’s own Climate Action Paper 2023.

These include:

• By 2026: Tree Planting Action Plan: to discuss the development of a plan to grow native Irish trees with the aim of creating a natural resource of high-quality building material for the future.
• By 2027: Land Use Framework: to help incentivise development within the existing development footprint (i.e. brownfield land), and to disincentivise greenfield development until it is the only option.
• By 2027: Biodiversity Finance Plan: to ensure that financing for the Strategy is sufficient in the absence of dedicated funding, particularly in relation to securing resource from the private sector.

Further engagement

RSUA’s full response can be accessed here.

If you have any queries about this consultation response, please contact Curtis Large, RSUA Policy and Public Affairs Officer, at curtis@rsua.org.uk