2023, The Crown Estate, Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme (OWEC), Delivery Options for Strategic Marine Net Gain

The Task and Finish Group (T&F Group), funded by the Offshore Wind Evidence and Change programme, was established in 2021 to see if it was possible to identify key strategic targets which would have the greatest impact in reversing marine and intertidal biodiversity loss and therefore maximise the impact of the net gain obligation when it becomes statutory. The T&F Group developed an initial spatial (regional) model seeking to estimate potential future demand for Marine Net Gain (MNG) restoration and recovery actions, based on forecast levels of future development activity and their residual impact. The outcome of the work carried out by the T&F Group is a robust set of recommendations to support the delivery on Strategic MNG (SMNG). The recommendations identify activities for further work on the topic of MNG, which may help inform Defra in the development of MNG policy. A number of suggestions for next steps have also been identified to continue developing the thinking on SMNG. Such next steps reflect the position of continuing development of MNG policy.