The principles of biodiversity protection are broadly the same on land and at sea, but the mindset is very different. In traditional offshore and onshore developments, the approach has been one of mitigation, essentially trying to correct or reduce harm after a design has already been finalised.  
 
That mindset creates an impression of “fixing” something that was broken in the first place, and it’s part of why wind developments often get bad press and meet with such determined and often heartfelt opposition.  
 
With nature-inclusive or nature-positive designs, we flip that mindset. From the very beginning, we ask: How can we design this structure (whatever it is) with nature in mind? How can we create infrastructure - whether it’s offshore wind, oil and gas, subsea cables or even onshore infrastructure - that can positively contribute to the rich and varied natural environment that people love so much?  
 
Rather than doing less harm, this approach aims to create ecological assets from the start.  

Take one example: a startup that collects used oyster, clam, and mussel shells from restaurants and repurposes them into artificial reef structures using a patented natural binder. These shell-based reefs mimic natural exoskeletons, attracting marine life and gradually biodegrading, leaving behind a living, carbon-sequestering habitat. It’s a beautiful, circular solution that’s nature-friendly, economically beneficial, and sustainable.  
 
These kinds of structures can be integrated into seawalls, scour protection, turbine bases, even subsea infrastructure. They create habitat for filter feeders that clean the water and absorb carbon, while supporting local fisheries and coastal economies.  

At WSP, we recently had the chance to explore this approach in a project involving the design phase of two large offshore substations off the coast of Ireland. The structures aren’t built yet, the design’s still being finalised, which made it the perfect moment to embed nature-inclusive design from the outset. Working with a company called ArcMarine, we carried out detailed market research into eco-concretes, eco-structure start-ups and artificial reef technologies. Then we did a comprehensive risk assessment to figure out which options could be used without compromising structural integrity, which is always the critical issue for the engineering teams. The outcome? Our proposed designs have been submitted to the engineering team and approved in principle. That means nature-inclusive features can be built into the final design and deployed within the next five or six years.