Putting Nature Where People Care: The Case for BNG Spatial Risk Multiplier

It might seem like a technicality. A footnote in the new world of biodiversity net gain (BNG). But if you’re in the weeds of this legislation—whether you’re a developer, planner, or land manager—there’s one small clause that deserves your full attention: the Spatial Risk Multiplier.

On the surface, it looks like a hurdle. It adds cost. It complicates sourcing. It arguably makes life harder for both buyers and sellers of biodiversity units. But underneath all that? It’s one of the most important pieces of design in the entire system. Because it’s rooted in something we talk far too little about when it comes to climate and nature - emotional connection.

What Is the Spatial Risk Multiplier?

In short, it’s a rule that encourages developers to deliver biodiversity net gain as close to the development site as possible. If a developer sources biodiversity units from within the same Local Planning Authority (LPA) or National Character Area, it’s a simple one-to-one ratio—one unit lost equals one unit purchased. But source those units further away, and the ratio of land needed to deliver this increases. If the units come from elsewhere in England, that requirement doubles. The idea is simple—the further away you go, the more you need to compensate.

Some developers (and suppliers) see this as a frustration. It adds complexity. It adds cost. But dig a little deeper, and it becomes clear that this mechanism is one of the smartest parts of the whole BNG system.

People Care About What’s Local

We’ve seen it time and time again at Ecologi and in public consultations: people care more deeply about what’s around them. They notice new trees planted along a familiar path. They value seeing nature restored in a place they already know and use. These kinds of local enhancements carry emotional weight.

That’s the challenge with other environmental schemes, like carbon credits. They’re valuable, no question—but they’re also more intangible. Messaging them is harder. They’re abstract, distant, and often difficult for people to connect with emotionally.

But when BNG is delivered locally—because of the Spatial Risk Multiplier—that emotional connection starts to build. This isn’t abstract climate action anymore. It’s something people can see. And, crucially, it’s something developers can talk about.

A Tale of Two Scenarios

Let’s fast-forward five years. The BNG market has matured. Everyone—developers, ecologists, LPAs—understands the system. Supply is strong. Buyers are informed.

Now imagine two versions of that future.

Scenario 1: The Multiplier Exists.

A developer is proposing a new housing estate. People in the local area push back: the usual noise about traffic, school places, greenfield loss. But this time, the developer can say:

“We know we’re impacting local biodiversity—but we’re not just replacing it. We’re increasing it by 10%, and we’re delivering that uplift right here, in your area. You may even be able to visit it, walk through it, and see it grow.”

That’s a powerful message. One that turns resistance into curiosity, even support.

Scenario 2: The Multiplier Was Scrapped.

Same project. Same local opposition. And the response?

“We’ve delivered the biodiversity uplift… 300 miles away.”

It doesn’t land. It doesn’t feel real. It makes the whole thing smell like greenwash—and developers will lose the one piece of leverage they had to win hearts and minds.

Natural Capitalism Needs Proximity

One of the things we’ve learned from carbon markets is this: when something feels distant or abstract, it’s much harder for people to trust or value it.

That’s the problem the Spatial Risk Multiplier solves. It brings the benefit closer. It connects nature gain to the people affected by nature loss.

And let’s be honest: people buy houses. People oppose planning applications. People shape public discourse. If they start to see BNG as something that benefits them—not just abstract habitat kilometres away—then the entire system gets stronger.

A Message to Developers: Use This

So to developers who are still getting their heads around the Spatial Risk Multiplier—don’t just see it as a compliance headache.

Yes, it’s a new cost. Yes, it complicates things. But it also creates a powerful story. It’s a way to show local communities that you’re not just meeting obligations—you’re contributing to the places they live in. You’re making nature better, not somewhere abstract, but somewhere nearby.

As the market matures and BNG becomes a more familiar part of planning and development, this will become one of the few genuinely positive, visible messages you can build into your comms.

So start now. Use it. Talk about it. Build with it.

This is something you can shout about:

 • “We’re replacing what we’ve taken away.”

 • “We’re going 10% beyond.”

 • “And we’re doing it here—locally, visibly, and for the long term.”

The Spatial Risk Multiplier might be one of the most quietly effective tools in the whole BNG system. Keep it. Use it. Celebrate it. It’s doing more than ticking a legislative box—it’s giving people a reason to believe in this system.

Want to see how we’re taking advantage of it?

Send me a message and I’ll show you what we’ve been working on.