The Government today (7 June 2022) launched a consultation to gather
views on a sustainable approach to marine development that
will help meet the UK’s ambitious target to reach net zero while
supporting the recovery of our ocean.
Marine net gain (MNG) aims to improve the state of the marine
environment by protecting, restoring or creating environmental
features of greater ecological value than any losses associated
with marine infrastructure projects.
This will be increasingly important as we accelerate offshore
wind deployment in our efforts to build a clean, secure and
affordable domestic energy supply.
Marine net gain would protect valuable marine species and
habitats, for example through planting seagrass which stores and
absorbs carbon, or removing plastics and other litter from our
oceans.
This consultation asks stakeholders to put forward their views on
what the ‘gains’ could be and how these should be delivered.
Marine net gain will work alongside biodiversity net gain
(BNG) to ensure nature and biodiversity are at the centre of
all decision-making and design, both on land and in our marine
environment.
The consultation opens
today and will run for 12 weeks until 30 August 2022. Responses
will be reviewed and used to help design the approach, including
how gains could be implemented and which marine infrastructure
projects are in scope.
This announcement builds on commitments in the Environment Act which
will deliver the most ambitious environmental programme of any
country on earth and drive forward action to protect nature and
improve biodiversity, including through a target to halt species
decline by 2030.
Background:
- The requirements for biodiversity net gain will apply to
development projects or components of projects as far as the
low-water mark, including the intertidal zone. Projects or
components of projects in the marine environment beyond the
intertidal zone, known as subtidal areas, are included within the
scope of the marine net gain requirements.
- The responses to the recent biodiversity net gain
consultation are currently being reviewed and a Government
response will be issued in due course. Responses to the
consultation will inform development of secondary legislation,
policy, and guidance.
