CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN

We shall be attending the “Resilient by Nature” webinar, marking the launch of new guidance by the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM).

The session focuses on how climate resilience can be integrated with Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)—an increasingly important consideration in UK planning and landscape design.

BNG requires that development leaves biodiversity in a measurably better state for at least 30 years. But with changing climate conditions and more frequent extreme weather events, ensuring these habitats remain viable over time is a growing challenge.

This new guidance introduces a 4-step approach to:

- Strengthen long-term habitat resilience

- Respond to climate change impacts

- Integrate adaptation into design and management

For landscape architecture, this is highly relevant. It reinforces the need to:

- Think beyond short-term compliance

- Design landscapes that can adapt over time

- Integrate ecology, water, and climate from the outset

Ongoing learning like this is essential to ensure that the advice I provide to clients reflects current best practice—and supports robust, future-proofed planning outcomes.