Delivering Environmental Net Gain

The course would start with a foundation in the natural capital and ecosystem service approach to delivering ENG. It would set out the legislative, policy and strategic context in a UK and Ireland and global setting. It would highlight the tools available to apply the approach and help delegates navigate the many forums, strategies, frameworks, standards and tools that currently exist. Examples of interventions and their ability to deliver ENG would be provided and the necessary KPIs for measurement. There would be a webinar interspersed with opportunities for group working to apply what has been learned, re the identification of appropriate ecosystem services, and worked examples around the quantification and monetisation of benefits. This would include examples of the necessary business cases required to confirm feasibility of interventions, including both capital and operational works. This would also be followed by case studies showing how this has been applied in a project and or plan context. This would end with a Q and A. Materials would be provided such as existing tools, spreadsheets, recommended guidance etc. It would be a mixture of lecture, group activities and discussion.

The aim of this training it to support the audience in integrating ENG into their plans and projects in a meaningful way that can be measured to demonstrate benefit delivery.

Typical target audiences include: developers, industrial operators and land managers, local authority ecologists and planners, conservation officers and licensing staff within SNCOs or NGOs, students, graduates, ecological consultants, environmental managers, wardens, rangers.

Familiarity with the Biodiversity Net Gain process would be desirable but not essential.

• Understand the natural capital approach for delivering environmental net gain and the difference between assets and services
• Have awareness of a range of tools that can support assessment of environmental net gain
• Apply the approach to plans and projects
• Participate in some worked examples for assessing environmental net gain
• Understand ENG in a legislative policy and strategic context