What is NET POSITIVE?
The goal of NET POSITIVE is to repair, restore and regenerate the natural world.
Whereas NET ZERO refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas added to the atmosphere and the amount removed, NET POSITIVE refers to the regeneration of the planet and doing more good than harm.
The goal of NET ZERO as defined by COP26 is to limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels by 2050. But with global temperatures already at 1.1C above pre-industrial levels and already too warm, NET ZERO can only act as a brake when we need to be in reverse.
With NET GAIN the goal of development and land management is to leave the natural world and environment in a better place than it was before; to repair, restore and regenerate.
In 2019 the UK Government made biodiversity NET GAIN (BNG) a mandatory part of the Environmental Bill meaning that in 2023 BNG it will be a mandatory part of planning permissions.
At this time all residential and commercial developments will need to increase biodiversity by a factor of 10% for a minimum of 30 years so the environment is in a better state than it was before the development.