Nature

Biodiversity Net Gain

Delivering a biodiversity net gain for every new development

Biodiversity net gain (BNG) is an approach to development that aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was beforehand. We consider net gain from the early design stages, to make sure that we are retaining and creating the right habitats. To help our design teams achieve this we have developed The Nine Concepts to inform our approach and we work with our ecologists, landscape architects and local Wildlife Trusts to make this happen. We are proud to have led the industry on BNG and set the path for it to become a national legal requirement for new development.

Since we became the first homebuilder to set a commitment to achieve a biodiversity net gain on every site back in 2017, we've designed a biodiversity net gain in the master planning of 57 sites, which combined will create more than 1,200 acres of new or measurably improved natural habitats.

From February 2024, biodiversity net gain has been a legislative requirement for all major homebuilding projects, as part of Government plans to restore the natural environment.

Environmental Net Gain

Considering climate, pollution, water and ecology

We are extending our existing approach to enhance biodiversity, to explore Environmental Net Gain (ENG). This involves making measurable improvements across other environmental topics on our developments. 

To develop our approach to ENG, we have reviewed 27 material environmental issues identified in external tools, policy and our own commitments. We then identified four priority areas where the pressures on the environment are greatest and where we can impact ecosystem services. We are now undertaking trials using external tools.

In partnership with Thames Water, we have explored the concept of water neutrality and how it can be applied to our sites. At Royal Exchange in Kingston, 45,000 litres per day has been offset through the retrofit of local homes, schools and businesses with new water saving devices and measures. Read about our findings in the Thames Water report.  

Waste

Using resources efficiently and minimising waste

Each year, the construction industry consumes nearly 400 million tonnes of materials and produces approximately 100 million tonnes of waste. It is the UK’s largest consumer of natural resources and accounts for around a third of UK waste production. 

Our Waste Strategy focuses on minimising the waste we generate and maximising reuse, recycling and recovery. At an early stage we work with our designers and consultants to design out waste from our developments, for example by retaining existing structures and reusing materials already available on site. 

We set waste targets for our sites, and work with our supply chain partners to increase on-site segregation and opportunities for reuse and recycling, e.g. take-back schemes. Software is used to track waste generation and material deliveries across all live projects to help us gain more oversight and increase contractors’ accountability and ownership of waste, which is proving effective to reduce waste and increase recycling.

We are a partner of the Supply Chain Sustainability School and a member of their Homes and Waste & Resources working groups, which are important forums to share experience and work with contractors, suppliers and other housebuilders to drive improvements across the value chain.

Water

Recognising water as a key resource that needs to be preserved

In addition to our efforts to enhance the water efficiency of our homes, our construction teams are working with contractors to drive water efficiency at our sites.

We set water budgets for our sites and offices, which give an allowance for water consumption that is calculated using a percentage reduction to the previous year, prompting our teams to look for opportunities for continuous improvement. 

Timber Certification

Ensuring all timber products come from responsibly managed forests

Berkeley’s Sustainable Specification and Procurement Policy requires all timber and wood-based products to be certified to either the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) scheme. The material tracking software that is in place across all sites, enables us to capture data on all deliveries as they take place. By flagging up non-compliances automatically, the software allows us to take corrective actions before products are installed.

Environmental Management

Undertaking regular sustainability assessments to reduce environmental harm

Each of our sites goes through a robust assessment process to identify environmental risks and opportunities. This process helps to ensure that sites meet legal and planning requirements, whilst also implementing best practice to prevent negative impacts on the environment and communities. The assessment is repeated at least quarterly throughout the construction process. 

We are committed to achieving zero significant or major incidents per year. We provide incident response training to our employees and contractors, and pollution prevention controls and response plans are checked as part of our regular sustainability assessments.

Berkeley Group and Natural England Partner for BNG Workshops

The partners are upskilling organisations to deliver BNG on site.

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Berkeley and Thames Water Win National Award for Water Neutrality

Berkeley Group and Thames Water made a big splash at the 2023 National Sustainability Awards as they claimed the Water Reduction Award for their pioneering partnership at Royal Exchange, Kingston upon Thames.

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Rob Perrins: Let’s Bring Nature Back to Our Towns and Cities

Berkeley Group were delighted to sponsor the fascinating Create Streets Greening-Up report, launched last week.

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Our Vision 2030: 2025 Progress Update

This extract from the Berkeley Group’s 2025 Annual Report provides an update on progress towards meeting our targets across each of our ten strategic priorities and details highlights for the period May 2024 to April 2025.