Responsible Business Insights

Creating Opportunities for Nature at UKREiiF

On Tuesday 16 May, we opened the Rethinking Places Pavilion at UKREiiF with a lively session on “Creating Opportunities for Nature”, one of three nature-focused discussions during the event.

The session highlighted how legislation is now the primary driver of change across the commercial real estate sector. The Environment Act 2021 mandates a minimum 10% Biodiversity Net Gain for all developments requiring planning permission from November 2023. Some local authorities are already going further, setting higher thresholds, while the Office for Environmental Protection has suggested that 25% net gain is the real benchmark if we are to achieve no net loss of biodiversity.

Encouragingly, many developers are now exceeding the minimum requirements voluntarily. These efforts are not only about compliance but also about social value and the powerful stories that can be told through nature-positive commitments. Indeed, 2023 has seen a rise in voluntary pledges to integrate nature into corporate strategies.

The session also explored the growing recognition of the link between climate and nature, with particular attention to the risks to supply chains and the financial implications of environmental degradation.

When discussing how to scale up investment in nature, I shared a five-point plan:

1. Consistency in policy

2. Clear policy timing

3. Adequate resourcing

4. Access to patient capital

5. Availability of specialist technical expertise

The panel brought together leading voices in nature and finance: Gemma Cranston from Pollination, Katerina Papavasileiou from Federated Hermes, Yetunde Abdul from UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), Suresh Weerasinghe from Aviva, and Emma Mackenzie from NewRiver REIT.