Evaluating Biodiversity Criteria in Green Building Rating Schemes: Toward ‘Nature Positive’ Development

Abstract

Aiming for a ‘nature positive’ future, built environment professionals increasingly adopt green building schemes as their roadmap. We review the most widely adopted green building rating schemes globally, focusing on evaluating their criteria for biodiversity action. We highlight key shortcomings in schemes, including that most do not specify biodiversity objectives (85%), lack monitoring plans (47%), lack ecological connectivity plans (76%) and allocate < 10% of available points to biodiversity (72%). Most schemes focus on mitigating harm (91%) or compensating unavoidable impacts via offsetting as the solution (3.4%) rather than rewarding positive, regenerative approaches that bring nature back into urban areas. These findings highlight critical gaps in how green building schemes address biodiversity, particularly given the call for regenerative approaches within the nature-positive agenda. We suggest re-evaluating and transforming specific aspects of green rating building schemes, including biodiversity objectives and monitoring strategies. These are critical improvements in the evolution toward nature-positive approaches.