Seizing the opportunity of England’s new biodiversity rules
Future-proofing against strained grids, regulations
Regulatory codes for building sustainability are becoming increasingly stringent. Natural ventilation methods can help buildings perform well in energy consumption and carbon emissions assessments. For example, natural ventilation scores highly on the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). When it comes to extreme weather, such as heatwaves or earthquakes, natural ventilation systems tend to perform more reliably than
mechanical alternatives in testing scenarios. The cooling approach also relieves pressure on electricity grids, especially in highly populated urban areas and during extreme weather conditions. During this summer’s heatwave in Europe, for example, daily power demand increased by up to 14 percent¹ as air conditioning use surged. Natural ventilation also reduces peak energy loads and provides organisations with a non-mechanical backup system.
Seeding wildflower meadows. Thinning non-native trees. Supporting pollinators. Creating ponds and wetlands. What if landowners could turn relatively simple, wildlife-friendly enhancements to their property into sources of income? Matthew Ling,
Nature-based Solution Lead, Commercial Advisory
Dependence on climate demands careful solutions
There is also significant global interest in how England’s BNG scheme has been developed and implemented, and how its adoption is progressing, as countries consider the potential for creating similar markets. The World Economic Forum has estimated² that global demand for biodiversity credits could reach USD 2 billion in 2030 and USD 69 billion in 2050, assuming a supportive policy environment. If less effective measures are taken, global demand could still reach USD 760 million by 2030 and increase to as much as USD 6 billion by 2050. Contributions through such mechanisms could go some way to realising Target 19 of the Global Biodiversity Framework, which seeks to mobilise USD 200 billion annually³ for biodiversity from all sources, including public, private and international finance. Pioneering biodiversity market schemes can play a crucial role globally in complementing existing mechanisms, such as carbon markets. They can provide a valuable incentive for landowners to protect and restore natural ecosystems while offering businesses and other organisations more options to meet net-zero, nature-positive and other environmental goals.
In 2024, England introduced world-first planning rules under its Environment Act requiring developers to ensure that new projects improve the local environment by achieving a “biodiversity net gain” (BNG) of at least 10 percent¹. That’s calculated using a government metric to assess the relative value of different types of habitats before and after a development is built, based on assumptions about what kinds of plant, animal, insect and other lifeforms a given habitat can support. If a developer cannot achieve the requisite uplift within their site boundaries or on other land they own, they can make up the difference by purchasing off-site biodiversity units from third- party providers. Any landowner can generate these units and become a provider by making biodiversity enhancements on land they own, committing to manage these improvements for at least 30 years and logging the resulting units in an official registry. Landowners of all types have begun exploring the opportunities presented by BNG, investing in enhancing the quality of their land for biodiversity. Among the landowners, a significant group is England’s 317 local authorities, which own 5,261 km² of land or 4 percent of the country’s total area, and have shown interest in capitalising on this new market.
Natural ventilation involves a complex interplay between design, engineering and the natural environment, which raises several considerations and potential limitations. First of all, the method is dependent on the outside climate. In very hot and humid climates natural ventilation may not be suitable because the air being drawn in could be too warm to provide adequate cooling for a building. In this case, natural ventilation could still be used in tandem with a mechanical cooling mechanism. Another possible risk: Natural ventilation could introduce pollutants or particulate matter into the building – a consideration in urban areas where heavy traffic or industrial zones can increase the presence of contaminants. For projects located near potentially polluting sites,
careful assessments are required to determine which parts of the building’s natural ventilation equipment would be unsuitable due to excessive local pollution. Noise and security are other considerations. Operable windows can amplify street noise, as well as produce whistling or humming sounds during high winds. Open windows on lower floors can create entry points for intruders. These factors make natural ventilation an effective choice when applied as part of a hybrid climate resilience system and supported by detailed engineering modelling and environmental assessments. For example, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations can be used to study air quality and thermal performance of a building.
Natural ventilation at the heart of climate resilience
As companies and cities make strides towards their goals for net-zero carbon emissions, natural ventilation can be a valuable tool in supporting climate resilience objectives as well as the safety and comfort of employees. It also aligns well with urban planning for green spaces and principles of healthy living.
Going forward, technology such as AI and digital twins (virtual replicas of physical objects or systems) can provide more detailed and accurate simulations of how systems will perform in various weather and climate scenarios. This will enable organisations to create more effective, environmentally appropriate solutions that are critical to the effectiveness of natural ventilation systems.
References 1. Czyzak, Pawel. “Heat and Power: Impacts of the 2025 Heatwave in Europe.” Ember. July 4, 2025. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/heat-and-power-impacts-of-the-2025-heatwave-in-europe/
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