Consultation outcome

Offshore wind: environmental compensatory measures reforms

From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
22 July 2025
Last updated
3 December 2025 — See all updates
This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Summary of responses and government response

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Detail of outcome

We received 74 responses to the consultation. The UK government will proceed to draft the secondary legislation required to implement the reforms, as well as publish related guidance.

Original consultation

Summary

Seeking views on the proposed environmental compensatory measures reforms (ECMR) for offshore wind. Defra will use the responses to inform the final design of the statutory instrument and associated guidance.

This consultation was held on another website.

This consultation ran from
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Consultation description

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) want to gather your thoughts on:

  • the proposed environmental compensatory measures reforms (ECMR) for offshore wind
  • the reformed approach to compensation
  • the proposed statutory instrument (SI)
  • associated guidance

The reforms intend to provide more clarity on requirements for environmental compensation for offshore wind developments when there is unavoidable damage to a marine protected area (MPA). Defra proposes introducing a more flexible and pragmatic approach to compensation, which includes broadening the range of compensation measures. This will support the government’s commitments to accelerating net zero and delivering on the clean power by 2030 mission, while unlocking new opportunities for nature recovery.

Updates to this page

Published 22 July 2025
Last updated 3 December 2025 show all updates

  1. Added the summary of responses and government response.

  2. First published.

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