UK Government must require re-evaluation of nature loss and compensation say The Wildlife Trusts
A new evidence report, ‘HS2 double jeopardy: how the UK’s largest infrastructure project undervalued nature and overvalued its compensation measures’ reveals fundamental flaws in the way HS2 Ltd has assessed the value of nature along the construction path of HS2.
It finds that HS2 Ltd has hugely undervalued natural habitats and the wildlife that is being destroyed by the construction along the route – while simultaneously overvaluing the impact of its nature compensation measures.
For example, Phase 1 which covers 140 miles of track between London and the West Midlands, will cause at least 7.9 times more nature loss than accounted for by HS2 Ltd. The new analysis finds that HS2 Ltd has hugely undervalued wild places being destroyed along the route – while simultaneously overvaluing the impact of its nature compensation measures.
The evidence report is a review of the No Net Loss* data for HS2 Phases 1 and 2a and was commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts. It reveals:
HS2 Ltd promised that nature would not lose out when much-loved natural areas and important habitats were destroyed to make way for construction of the high-speed rail line. It made a commitment to No Net Loss of biodiversity for replaceable habitats along Phase 1 and 2a of the route, and a net gain for biodiversity along Phase 2b.
Compensating for nature losses relies on accurate baseline assessments of the value of wildlife habitats along the route – for example, by looking to see how species-rich the grasslands are or how diverse woodlands are in terms of the mix of native tree species and complexity of woodland structure, the quality of the understorey and woodland plants.
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Posted On: 08/02/2023