Mitigation hierarchy

Competence frameworks for the built environment – Core criteria for sustainability competence - Code of practice , Version 3, published by the Edge for the Construction Industry Council in February 2025, defines the mitigation hierarchy as a: ‘hierarchical sequence of actions to anticipate and avoid impacts on biodiversity or ecosystem services; and, where avoidance is not possible, minimise; where impacts occur, restore; and finally where significant residual impacts remain, offset. NOTE 1 Its application requires taking each step in turn, focusing on all possibilities before moving on to the next step. NOTE 2 The term “compensation” is sometimes used interchangeably with “offset”.’

The Environmental Audit Committee. Environmental sustainability and housing growth: Sixth Report of Session 2024–26 HC 439 describes it thus "seeks to minimise the impacts a development has on biodiversity. The mitigation hierarchy has four levels that should be applied in order of priority:

1. Avoidance: Preventing or reducing negative impacts on biodiversity.
2. Minimisation: Reducing the severity or extent of impacts that cannot be avoided.
3. Restoration: Restoring degraded biodiversity or enhancing existing biodiversity.
4. Offsetting: Creating new biodiversity or improving the condition of biodiversity elsewhere; this should be used as a last resort."

See also: Biodiversity mitigation hierarchy.

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