Could Tennis Achieve a Biodiversity Net Gain? 

In an era defined by ecological decline and climate urgency, global industries are increasingly being asked not only to minimise harm, but to actively support the natural world. 

Sport is no exception. Tennis, a sport with global reach and massive infrastructure demands, is starting to face the question: can it not only go green but also deliver a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)?

Understanding the principal of Biodiversity Net Gain

Biodiversity Net Gain is a mandatory policy in the UK designed to directly address the isse of habitat and species decline.  The UK Environment Act (2020) specifies that all new developments must leave habitats in a measurably better state, with at least a 10% net gain in biodiversity value.  This is calculated using a purpose built biodiversity metric which assesses the different habitat types, size and quality at each site.  

BNG follows the Global Biodiversity Framework’s mitigation hierarchy, which requires that the net gain be achieved on-site, and if this is not possible, then off-site, or by purchasing biodiversity credits.  Under this regulation, to ensure that the objective is achieved, habitats created or enhanced must be maintained for a minimum of 30 years, and a biodiversity gain plan for the site must be approved by the local planning authority.  This has led to a new opportunity for landowners, who can participate by protecting areas of natural habitat, which are traded on a regulated or voluntary market, as parcels of land with a biodiversity value (biodiversity units) creating a new source of income and delivering ecological benefits.

It’s a conservation principle that is designed to move us in the direction of a nature positive future.  Any land development, such as expanding a stadium or building training facilities, needs to demonstrate what the state of the environment is at the start and end of an intervention, with the goal of building nature into the core decision making process and leaving the environment in a better ecological state than it was before, benefitting the local and global community. 

It should be noted that ecological value at each site is dependent on a number of factors, including what has local value and significance.  Unlike carbon offsetting, which can be abstract and global, BNG tends to be local, tangible, and the principles are rooted in ecological science. It focuses on habitat type and condition. For a place-based sport like tennis, which has a large footprint in terms of surface area, this offers an opportunity to lead by example and to look for ways in which nature positive principles can be built into the infrastructure. 

Tennis and Climate Change

Tennis has made visible strides in sustainability, but, like many, it is only just beginning to tackle the issue of biodiversity loss directly.   

Major tournaments are reducing energy consumption, cutting single-use plastics, and promoting greener transport. Yet, its carbon footprint remains high—notably, travel accounts for over 90% of the ATP Tour’s emissions. The need for temporary infrastructure and international logistics add to the challenge of making meaningful progress, added to which supply chains, in general, are not transparent enough to enable organisations to make choices based on green credentials. 

Biodiversity remains largely absent from tennis’s published net-zero strategies. Most organisations have a sustainable plan which targets carbon neutrality by 2040, but very few have defined or included biodiversity goals. 

True sustainability must go beyond carbon strategies to include the broader nature based systems that support all life.  Integrated strategies are needed.  The starting point for any organisation is understanding the environment in which it operates, and there are a number of new standards and frameworks that follow the principles of the Global Biodiversity Framework, which is an international agreement, ratified by almost all nations, and which clearly sets out four goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030 (on which the clock is ticking).  These goals need to be recognised by all of us, as a global community.   For tennis, as for all organisations, the starting point is a clear understanding of the objectives, and good quality baseline data, upon which to create an integrated strategy that puts nature at the heart of all decisions.  

Wimbledon and Biodiversity Net Gain

One tennis tournament is taking biodiversity seriously. The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), home to Wimbledon, has embedded BNG into its expansion plans. 

The lawn tennis club has plans to restore and enhance habitats as part of its development of Wimbledon Park (see image). The plan includes the protection of 41 veteran trees, improving water systems around the lake, creating new green corridors for wildlife, opening 23 acres of private parkland, and daylighting two buried brooks to enhance lake-side ecology.

Aerial view of All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon.

Crucially, the AELTC is committed to long-term monitoring and alignment with UK government BNG policy. These are not superficial gestures. With guidance from ecologists and sustainability experts, Wimbledon is setting a new standard: one where elite sport can coexist with flourishing ecosystems.

The London Wildlife Trust has reviewed all ecological survey data submitted by the All England Club and issued a formal statement confirming that the project is expected to deliver significant biodiversity net gain. Their analysis, based on the UK statutory biodiversity metric, found the plans to be conservative and scientifically credible.

Scaling the Vision for tennis

Whilst Wimbledon provides a valuable case study, it highlights a broader dilemma for the sport:  many tennis tournaments are not in a position to deliver meaningful biodiversity outcomes. Temporary venues, urban sites, and short event durations make it hard to plan long-term ecological improvements. Furthermore, tennis is governed internationally, with varied regulations and environmental expectations in different countries.

Without a sport-wide framework, efforts to achieve a biodiversity net gain are likely to remain uneven. A coordinated direction from the ATP, WTA, and ITF could enable permanent venues to embed BNG and encourage smaller tournaments to support off-site biodiversity projects. 

The legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Park, which created over 45 hectares of new urban habitat, demonstrates what vision and planning can achieve as a result of a sporting event.

From Green to Regenerative

For tennis to move beyond sustainability rhetoric, it must adopt a regenerative approach—making biodiversity central to venue design. This might include green roofs, pollinator gardens, and wildlife corridors around tennis courts.

Wimbledon demonstrates how this can be achieved. At No.1 Court, a striking living wall was installed as part of redevelopment efforts. Covering 245 m² and comprising over 14,000 plants, the wall is designed to support pollinators, absorb carbon, and reflect the tournament’s identity of “tennis in an English garden.”  Integrating plant species such as Hebe and Bergenia has been shown to attract bees and birds, contributing to microhabitat restoration in a highly urban environment.

Fans and players, too, have a role. With a global audience nearing 800 million, they can amplify biodiversity initiatives through campaigns or and community rewilding initiatives.

What Wimbledon is achieving for tennis could set a precedent for all sports. With its visibility, cultural influence, and fixed venues, tennis is uniquely placed to champion biodiversity in sport. Scaling these efforts will require financial investment, education, and crucially, policy alignment.

Final Thoughts

So, can tennis achieve biodiversity net gain? The answer is yes, but only if it chooses to. The work Wimbledon is doing is a promising beginning, but a single tournament cannot change the sport’s overall footprint. If tennis is serious about environmental leadership, biodiversity must become part of its identity, not just its branding.

The critical point is that biodiversity cannot be outsourced or digitally offset. It must be built into place, grown over time, and grounded in local ecological realities. Wimbledon’s roadmap shows how that can happen, but it will take leadership to spread that model across the tennis calendar.

Rather than merely reducing harm, the sport must start contributing to ecological recovery. With vision, commitment, and collaboration, tennis could move from environmental impact to ecological improvement, serving not only fans, but future generations and the planet itself.

How to start integrating biodiversity into your sustainability strategy

The starting point for any strategy is a clear baseline and understanding of the local environment.  This requires high quality data that provides the right data points.  

At Gentian, we specialise in the provision of data that enables organisations to clearly understand, measure, and monitor nature using AI-powered analysis of very high-resolution multispectral imagery.   This technology is evolving at a phenomenal pace, and Gentian leverages the very latest techniques to create data services that are purpose built for biodiversity.  Organisations need easy access to consistent reliable data that is designed to fit with reporting standards and frameworks.  Gentian recognises this and has built a globally available platform that delivers rapid, science-based ecological insights that help track biodiversity, assess habitat quality, and meet nature-related regulatory or voluntary targets.

From global enterprises to local authorities, Gentian provides purpose built data services that help decision-makers align their operations with a nature-positive future — ensuring that sustainability goes beyond intention and delivers impact.

Interested in how Gentian can support your organisation’s biodiversity goals? Please fill in the form below — and a member of our team will be in touch to explore how we can help you: