The BNG Federation accuses the UK government of breaking its promise to set a clear timetable for applying biodiversity net gain (BNG) rules to nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), leaving major schemes in a “regulatory vacuum”. Developers of large highways, energy and rail projects currently lack certainty on when and how the statutory 10% BNG requirement will apply, complicating land acquisition, habitat design and long-term management plans. The federation warns that without a defined start date and guidance, DCO applications and environmental impact assessments risk delay and redesign.

The Green Heat Network Fund will accept Welsh applications from Round 12, backed by an extra £195m per year in UK capital funding to 2030 under the Warm Homes Plan, with both public and private heat network owners eligible. Existing schemes such as Cardiff’s low carbon networks funded under the Heat Networks Investment Project and the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme will sit alongside GHNF support for new build, expansion and decarbonisation projects. Technical opportunities flagged include community-led ambient temperature networks for off-gas-grid housing and mine water heat schemes identified in the Wales Mine Water Heat Opportunity Map.

British Columbia Premier David Eby plans a temporary suspension of specific sections of the province’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act after the Gitxaała First Nation Court of Appeal ruling found the online mineral claims system, which allows staking on Crown land without prior consultation, conflicts with DRIPA. The government will amend DRIPA in the current session, treat the vote as a confidence matter, and seek a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that could take up to three years, prolonging regulatory uncertainty for explorers. The Association for Mineral Exploration reports only 15% of mineral claim applications are being processed within the 90–120-day service standard, warning delays threaten the 2026 summer exploration season.