How to Reduce Costs While Achieving BNG Compliance

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) compliance refers to meeting regulations that require developers to leave nature in a better state after development, by at least a 10% net increase in biodiversity value over the pre-project baseline. 

Achieving this can be a dual challenge: organisations must fulfil strict environmental obligations while also managing project budgets. 

Traditional approaches to BNG, such as extensive ecological surveys and large-scale habitat creation, are often resource-intensive and costly, making BNG compliance seem like an expensive endeavor. 

However, BNG doesn’t have to break the bank. With the right strategy, it’s possible to meet regulatory requirements and control costs. 

Gentian offers a data-driven solution that combines deep ecological expertise with cutting-edge technology, enabling projects to achieve BNG goals cost-effectively. 

In this guide, we’ll explore how to efficiently attain BNG compliance in a way that delivers long-term financial and environmental benefits, positioning Gentian as a trusted partner in this process.

Jump to Section:

• The Inefficiency of Traditional BNG Assessments
  
  
• How to Achieve BNG on a Budget
  
  
• Cost-Effective Partner in BNG Compliance

The Inefficiency of Traditional BNG Assessments

Traditional methods of achieving BNG compliance can inflate costs and timelines. A conventional BNG assessment relies on manual, on-site habitat surveys by ecologists, a labour-intensive, time-consuming process. 

Teams must collect extensive field data (often across large or difficult terrain), and certain habitat evaluations can only be done in specific seasons (for example, many plant and animal species are identifiable only at particular times of year). 

These practical constraints introduce delays. In addition, surveying multiple sites sequentially stretches timelines further, as each site might require weeks of fieldwork in turn. All of this inefficiency not only drives up staffing and travel expenses, but also increases the risk of missed deadlines.

Crucially, delays in BNG assessments can jeopardise project schedules. Planning approvals may be withheld until a valid BNG plan is submitted, and failing to demonstrate compliance can trigger costly penalties or remediation requirements. 

Local authorities have the power to withhold permits or enforce penalties if BNG obligations aren’t met, causing project hold-ups and extra costs. In practice, a slow or inaccurate BNG process could mean scrambling to purchase off-site biodiversity “units” at the last minute or facing enforcement actions.

Clearly, the traditional approach to BNG creates friction between environmental innovation and financial sustainability: companies find themselves struggling to protect nature and the bottom line under tight timelines.

How to Achieve BNG on a Budget

Achieving BNG compliance efficiently starts with rethinking the approach. 

By leveraging modern technology and smart planning, organisations can drastically reduce the cost of BNG while still delivering on ecological goals. 

Below, we outline four actionable strategies for cost-effective Biodiversity Net Gain, each enabled by data-driven tools like Gentian’s AI-powered platform.

Prioritise High-Impact Areas

A sample site habitat map generated using AI, with colour-coded classifications (e.g. light green areas are modified grassland, grey are sealed surfaces). Such high-resolution mapping highlights where biodiversity improvements would be most impactful on a development site. 

By leveraging technology like Gentian’s True Sight platform to analyse up-to-date satellite imagery, project teams can quickly survey an entire site and pinpoint the areas with the highest potential for biodiversity uplift. 

Rather than spreading resources thinly across all parts of a site, data-driven mapping helps focus efforts where they will yield the greatest net gain. 

For example, an AI habitat screening tool can instantly identify which land parcels are ecologically low-value (and thus prime candidates for habitat creation) versus which areas are already high-value and should be preserved. 

Industry experts note that using mapping software or drone surveys to find priority areas for habitat enhancement saves considerable time and money by reducing unnecessary ground inspections. 

In short, targeting the high-impact areas first ensures that your BNG budget is directed to the sites and actions that maximise ecological return on investment.

Optimise Existing Green Spaces

One of the most cost-effective BNG strategies is to make better use of what you already have. Many development sites include patches of greenery or semi-natural habitat that, with minor improvements, can deliver substantial biodiversity benefits. 

Advanced habitat mapping technology can reveal the true ecological value of these existing green spaces, often down to fine details that traditional surveys might overlook. 

For instance, AI-based analysis can distinguish individual trees, small ponds, or patches of scrub on-site, allowing consultants to recognise every habitat feature that could be enhanced. 

Armed with this insight, organisations can implement simple, low-cost upgrades: sowing native wildflower seeds over a bland lawn, letting an area of grass grow long and natural, or adding inexpensive features like bird boxes and log piles. 

Such measures boost the biodiversity value of existing areas at minimal cost. Optimising current green spaces is often far cheaper than creating brand-new habitats from scratch; you avoid major landscaping expenses by working with the land’s inherent potential. 

In practice, a data-driven review might show that a site’s neglected corner can become a flourishing meadow with a bit of management, or that preserving a hedgerow offers more BNG “bang for your buck” than costly ornamental planting elsewhere.

Using tools like True Sight to map and analyse your site, you can uncover these hidden opportunities and elevate biodiversity within the existing footprint of your project.

Implement a Phased Approach

Another strategy for budget-friendly BNG is to phase the implementation over time. 

Rather than allocating a large upfront sum to achieve all net gain requirements at once, consider breaking down the BNG plan into manageable stages. Start with low-cost, high-impact actions first, and then gradually scale up habitat enhancements as resources allow. 

Employing a phased approach not only spreads costs out, but also allows you to learn and adapt, ensuring money is spent where it delivers proven results. 

Technology makes phased BNG especially effective: with precise baseline data and predictive tools from Gentian’s True Sight, you can plan each step with confidence. Early-phase improvements can be monitored remotely to measure gains, informing where to invest in subsequent phases. 

Moreover, Gentian’s high-resolution mapping works for projects of any size, from a single hectare pilot to a multi-site roll-out, so you get consistent data at each stage. 

By phasing your BNG delivery, you reduce upfront financial strain while steadily working toward (and even beyond) the 10% net gain target – all guided by reliable ecological data at every step.

Reduce Survey and Planning Costs

Finally, significant savings can be achieved by cutting down the time and expense of surveys and paperwork in the BNG process. 

Advanced digital solutions are transforming how biodiversity assessments are done, making it possible to complete in hours what once took weeks of fieldwork.

One recent analysis found that an AI-based BNG tool delivered site scoping assessments 75–90% cheaper per site than conventional methods, at a cost only about 10–25% of a manual survey, and produced results “in the time it takes to make a cup of tea”. 

Similarly, other technology providers report cost reductions on the order of 75% compared to traditional approaches. The time savings are just as impressive: Gentian’s own platform enables users to assess biodiversity “in minutes rather than weeks, and at a fraction of the usual cost,” as CEO Daniel White explains. 

By slashing the labour hours and delay associated with BNG assessments, these solutions free up your budget to invest in tangible on-the-ground biodiversity measures. 

Faster surveys and automated reporting also mean fewer hold-ups in planning, projects can move forward sooner, avoiding costly schedule overruns. 

In summary, embracing digital BNG tools translates to doing the same work around 75% faster and with much lower overhead, directly reducing the overall cost of compliance.

Cost-Effective Partner in BNG Compliance

Successfully balancing environmental compliance with cost management requires not just tools, but the right partner. Gentian positions itself as a cost-effective partner for organisations striving to meet BNG requirements. 

By providing scalable, flexible solutions that adapt to each client’s unique needs, Gentian helps streamline the compliance journey. 

Instead of a one-size-fits-all service, Gentian offers an approach tailored to project size and complexity, whether it’s a small consultancy needing a quick habitat scan or a large firm undertaking county-wide biodiversity monitoring. 

For example, Gentian’s rapid assessments can flag ecological constraints early, allowing developers to de-risk projects and avoid costly surprises down the line. 

By combining AI-driven habitat mapping with in-house ecological expertise, Gentian ensures that cost savings do not come at the expense of scientific rigour or accuracy, in fact, the platform delivers compliance-ready data faster and more affordably than traditional surveys ever could. 

The result is a win-win: organisations protect nature while protecting their budgets, confident that they are meeting regulatory standards and future-proofing their projects against climate and biodiversity risks.

Gentian empowers organisations to protect both ecosystems and operations. Leaders powered by Gentian are better equipped to manage nature-related risks, meet stakeholder expectations, and lead in sustainability innovation. 

Ready to revolutionise your approach to BNG compliance and nature-related risk? Take the next step towards streamlined, successful BNG compliance and get in touch with a member of our team via the form below: