One Click LCA, the global leader in construction life-cycle assessment software, announced today, at their Carbon Experts Summit event in London, the launch of a new Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) tool for British developers. The tool makes it easier and faster to complete and scale biodiversity net gain assessments from the early stages of construction development projects.
Panu Pasanen. Image Credit: One Click LCA
The UK is regarded as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries. Since 1970, species have declined by an average of around one-fifth. Recent assessments have proven that this depletion is ongoing, with progress off-track towards most Government nature targets.
Following the legislation, there has been a renewed focus on BNG. Previously, ecologists were the sole remit of BNG assessments. The One Click LCA Biodiversity Net Gain tool will make BNG assessments simpler and more accessible for designers and other early-stage stakeholders, regardless of prior experience.
The BNG tool, in partnership with UKHab Ltd, uses the UK Habitat Classification System to ensure results align with the Government’s statutory biodiversity metric tool.
Between October and December last year, there were 85,200 applications for planning permission in England. The status quo of outsourcing to ecologists can't meet this demand alone and developers must embed biodiversity net gain into their projects from day one. We're proud to partner with UKHab and help empower design teams to deliver results for biodiversity with our tools.
James Thornton, Biodiversity Product Specialist - One Click LCA
The Biodiversity Net Gain tool will help large developments meet requirements by:
- Reducing the complexity associated with BNG impact measurement, streamlining and simplifying the assessment process.
- Empowering non-ecologists to confidently and accurately perform BNG assessments as part of the early-design phases of a project.
- Embedding BNG into design from day one, aligned to project goals and processes.
Panu Pasanen, CEO at One Click LCA, adds: “The BNG mandate is an important step towards tackling construction's impact on our environment. We are delighted to help the construction industry to support UK nationwide biodiversity goals, improving public health and boosting climate resilience.”