Integrated Greening of Grey Infrastructure
We pride ourselves in providing clients with solutions which fulfil their conservation targets and meet engineering standards.
However, by using ecologically engineered products, BNG targets can be seamlessly met. Integrated Greening of Grey Infrastructure (IGGI) refers to the creation of hard infrastructure which incorporates surface complexity, increasing nature inclusivity on installations. This is seen in necessary new hard infrastructure developments which cannot be replaced with green or blue-green solutions but must meet local outlined standards for nature restoration or mitigation.
The combination of GeoBlock® and our aptly named Greening the Grey® textures applies this concept, with 10 years of product research already completed to ensure their benefits and adaptability. Integrating conservation research into hard infrastructure engineering allows our products to meet IGGI and engineering requirements, just in time for the announcement of mandatory biodiversity gain as part of new developments.
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) legislation comes into force from January 2024. It will be enforced under the Environment Act 2021 which outlines the requirement for English developments to achieve a minimum 10% net gain in biodiversity, completed through habitat creation, enhancement, or through the purchase of biodiversity credits. The relevant development projects occur above mean low water level and are greater than 25m2.
Where clients are installing hard ‘grey’ infrastructure, the use of conventional materials and methods hinders this biodiversity increase.
If you are interested in achieving BNG requirements using Integrated Greening the Grey Infrastructure (IGGI), contact us.