The questions shaping the next phase of BNG

The latest Biodiversity Units UK Pricing Report provides one of the clearest pictures yet of how the market is evolving. The data is valuable, but it's the changing conversations behind it that tell the more interesting story.

Developers want planning certainty, projects that stack up commercially and a route to consent they can stand behind. 

Landowners want to leave their land in a better state than they found it, while creating lasting value and resilient lomg-term income.

Done well, Biodiversity Net Gain is one way of bringing those ambitions together. 

That's why the latest Biodiversity Units UK Pricing Report is worth paying attention to. 

Not because it has all the answers. No report ever does. But because it gives the market something it's been missing: a stronger evidence base for commercial decision-making. 

Drawing on data from 254 habitat banks, representing around 95% of the registered market, alongside Natural England allocation data, the report estimates annual market activity has grown from around £33 million in 2025 to £93 million in 2026. More than 2,300 biodiversity units have now been allocated across 268 registered habitat banks. 

The growth is encouraging. 

What interested us just as much was what sits behind it. 

For the first time, we're starting to test what we're seeing on the ground against meaningful market data. 

The conversations are changing

A couple of years ago, most conversations centred on supply. 

• Would enough habitat banks come forward? 

• Would there be enough biodiversity units? 

• Could developers find what they needed? 

Those questions still matter. They're just no longer the only questions. 

Today, conversations start earlier. They're about procurement, planning strategy, commercial viability, local demand and, increasingly, long-term stewardship. 

That's a healthy shift. 

The market isn't just getting bigger. It's becoming more informed. 

Better information sharpens judgement

One thing we found particularly useful is that the report gives the market a stronger point of reference. Not because it tells anyone exactly what to pay. Or exactly where to invest. It can't. 

Every development has different commercial drivers. 

Every landholding has different ambitions. 

Every planning authority has different priorities. 

That's exactly why context still matters. 

Baseline pricing, allocation data and market trends are all valuable, but they're only ever part of the picture. Location matters. Ecology matters. Commercial objectives matter. 

Good information doesn't replace experience. It sharpens it. 

Growth only matters if it improves outcomes

It's easy to measure the size of a market. It's much harder to measure its quality. 

The real test isn't whether BNG grows from £93 million to £200 million. It's whether developers can bring forward schemes with greater certainty. 

Whether projects stack up commercially without compromising environmental ambition. 

Whether landowners can generate resilient income while creating lasting ecological value. 

As the market grows, quality and integrity become just as important as supply. That means creating habitats that perform as intended, managing them well over the long term and giving developers, landowners and planning authorities confidence that the outcomes promised at the outset are the outcomes that are ultimately delivered.  

If the market is moving us closer to those outcomes, that's real progress. 

Our view

Markets evolve because people make different decisions. Developers who bring biodiversity into projects earlier. Landowners who invest with both nature and future generations in mind. Planning authorities that recognise good outcomes. Businesses willing to keep improving as the market changes. 

The report doesn't change the market. It helps us understand it better. 

Our role is to make Biodiversity Net Gain easier to navigate, easier to deliver and more valuable for everyone involved. That means helping developers deliver projects that stack up. Helping landowners create lasting value for their land. And never losing sight of why the market exists in the first place: to leave nature in a better state than we found it. 

Continue the conversation

If you’d like to explore the data in more detail, you can read the full Biodiversity Units UK Pricing report here.

While the report provides valuable market benchmarks, the real opportunity lies in what those insights mean for developers, landowners and the long-term evolution of the BNG market.

If you’re planning a development, exploring Biodiversity Net Gain as part of your land strategy, or simply want to discuss what these trends mean in practice, we’d be happy to continue the conversation.

You can also explore how Biofarm supports developers through our Free BNG Appraisal, discover our growing network of Habitat Banks, or learn more about how we’re helping landowners unlock long-term value through Biodiversity Net Gain.