Episode 27: How to Measurably Improve Nature and Ecosystem Services via Biodiversity Net Gain with Nick White, Principle Advisor of Net Gain at Natural England

In this episode Jonathan interviews Nick White, Principal Adviser for Net Gain at Natural England, about his career path into biodiversity work and his 14-year involvement in developing biodiversity net gain (BNG). Nick explains how Brexit created a political window to help get BNG onto the national agenda and ultimately enshrined into law, and discusses BNG’s global influence, including international uptake of the metric. They explore what natural capital means, why habitats are used as a practical proxy for biodiversity, and how environmental net gain seeks to capture wider ecosystem benefits beyond wildlife value. The conversation also covers the importance of numbers for business decision-making, the need to ensure long-term on-the-ground outcomes, and Nick’s first, best, and worst experiences in nature.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro03:11 Setting the Scene04:03 Nick’s Career Journey06:28 Brexit and Policy Window07:54 From Idea to Global Impact10:39 Supply Demand and Trust12:12 Natural Capital Explained14:58 Keeping BNG Simple18:44 Environmental Net Gain20:46 Private Sector Motivation21:06 Beyond Compliance Value23:09 Metrics That Move Money24:14 Making the Business Case26:06 How BNG Should Evolve29:09 Nature and Development Together29:56 First Memory Fishing32:29 Worst Night Exercise34:20 Best Moments in Nature35:57 Everyone Can Act38:14 Host Wrap and Next GuestsSend us Fan Mail