A key focus of COP30 is the Amazon rainforest, given Belém’s proximity to it. The location has succeeded in spotlighting the Amazon’s vital role in absorbing greenhouse gases and mitigating climate change. Less known is that the UK has its own “temperate rainforests”. These globally rare habitats are said to be even more threatened than tropical rainforests. Rich in biodiversity, they support hundreds of species of mosses, lichens, fungi, birds and mammals.

This brings COP30’s themes closer to home. Protecting and enhancing biodiversity isn’t just a global issue, it’s a local one. The UK real estate sector has a vital role to play through nature positive design, regenerative agriculture, and biodiversity-led master planning. One standout initiative is the UK’s globally leading Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) metric, developed to quantify biodiversity impact and ensure we are truly “leaving the environment in a better state than we found it.”

Nature positive design and regenerative masterplanning

Creating places that work for people and the planet means thinking beyond static plans. Density remains a critical lever: moving past low-density norms of 38-45 dwellings per hectare toward gentle, higher densities can enable walkable, transit-oriented neighbourhoods that reduce car dependency and foster vibrant, human-centric communities.

But regenerative masterplanning is not just about numbers, it’s about flexibility. Places must be designed to evolve as needs change, whether driven by climate impacts, demographic shifts, or new ways of living and working. This adaptability depends on continuous community engagement, long-term stewardship, and co-design, ensuring developments remain inclusive and resilient over time.

Interlinked systems underpin this approach: nature-positive design, resource management, and energy strategies must work together with low-carbon construction methods such as Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), and locally grown bio-insulation materials like hemp. These choices reduce embodied carbon while supporting circularity and local economies.

Finally, integrating green infrastructure - trees, wetlands, and multifunctional open spaces - delivers ecosystem services like carbon sequestration, flood mitigation, and air purification, while enhancing wellbeing and social cohesion. Regenerative masterplanning is not a static blueprint; it’s a living framework for places that adapt, thrive, and restore.

Regenerative agriculture

While planning policies can help mitigate environmental impact, accommodating and feeding a growing UK population, expected to reach 78 million by 2050, will inevitably place pressure on natural habitats. Past efforts to boost agricultural output, such as intensive farming and widespread pesticide use, have contributed to biodiversity loss.

Regenerative farming offers a more balanced approach. Across the UK, many farms are adopting practices that improve soil health, reduce chemical inputs and support wildlife whilst delivering profitable farming enterprises long term. Government grants are helping farmers to accelerate this shift by incentivising nature-friendly practices.

For example, legume fallows provide green cover, suppress weeds and reduce herbicide use, while also improving soil quality. These kinds of interventions show how farming can support both productivity and biodiversity when backed by the right incentives and awareness.

Our hopes for COP

As COP30 unfolds in Belém, our hope is that the conversations and commitments made on the global stage inspire reflection and action closer to home. Inaction, even when it happens thousands of miles away in Brazil, does not stay distant – its consequences ripple across borders, economies, supply chains, ecosystems, and shared climate risks. Climate change and biodiversity loss are not distant challenges, they are present in our familiar landscapes, our communities and our industry.

Further information

Contact Joe Dance and Joanna Conceicao Hayward