Defra’s ELMS Test and Trial Conference

CEO Ben Taylor and Landowner Engagement Officer Karen Lindley left Oxfordshire last week, heading to London to present at Defra’s ELMS Test and Trial Team Stakeholder Conference. 

TOE have recently completed a Test and Trial (T&T) on behalf of Defra, testing an innovative mechanism to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) extracting key learning which may be replicated for Defra’s future schemes and advise policy. Biodiversity Net Gain is still a relatively new concept, and it is important that it is delivered effectively so that it results in actual biodiversity gain on the ground. Findings showed there is interest in using private finance to support habitat creation projects, but uncertainties such as taxation, market demand and pricing are hampering uptake.  

TOE’s full findings will be published shortly, but do contact TOE to learn more about how we are linking private financing from biodiversity  net gain to the achievement of the emerging Local Nature Recovery Strategy whilst securing income for landowners.