New Strategy has 2020 vision for England’s wildlife

Biodiversity 2020 – See our strategy paper for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services. The document sets out our approach to halting the decline in biodiversity over the next decade.

Have your say – We have also produced a technical discussion paper on a new set of indicators to measure progress on Biodiversity 2020. It asks for views on the scope and detail of the new indicators.

Enter a national wildlife gardening competition - run by the Wildlife Trusts and Royal Horticultural Society, and funded by Defra. Entry is open to all – individuals, schools, communities and businesses.

Biodiversity is the variety of all life on Earth. This includes all species of animals and plants, and the natural systems that support them.

Biodiversity matters because it supports the vital benefits we get from the natural environment. It contributes to our economy, our health and wellbeing, and it enriches our lives.

Latest news

• 22 March 2012 – Habitats and Wild Birds Directives Implementation Review report published.  Learn more about the review or read the report.
• 23 August 2011 – Economic valuation of the benefits of ecosystem services delivered by the UK Biodiversity Action Plan report published
  
• 19 August 2011 -Biodiversity 2020- A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services.  The document sets out our approach to halting the decline in biodiversity over the next decade.

The case for government action

Biodiversity is in decline across the world because of human activity, with 10-30% of animals threatened with extinction. 10% of all species are thought to be at increasing risk for every 1°c rise in global mean temperature due to climate change. All countries need to work together to be part of the solution.

Biodiversity is hugely important because of the benefits it provides. Many of the decisions the UK makes to conserve biodiversity are agreed at European or international level. The UK is working with other countries through membership of international agreements to conserve biodiversity. This includes developing countries and the UK’s overseas territories, which are rich in biodiversity but poor in resources, through schemes such as the Darwin Initiative.

The UK is also supporting a global study into The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). This has shown the economic benefits biodiversity delivers including how much it costs if we lose it, and its value to human well-being.

The following pages provide information on the current situation and background both in the UK and internationally:

• What we are doing in the UK
• What we are doing internationally
• How climate change is affecting our biodiversity

Publications

• Technical Paper: the metric for the biodiversity offsetting pilot in England

• Biodiversity offsetting – Guidance for developers

• Biodiversity offsetting – Information for local authorities

• Biodiversity offsetting – Guidance for offset providers

• The Environment in the United Kingdom’s Overseas Territories: UK Government and Civil Society Support

• Biodiversity 2020: A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services

• Guidance for Public Authorities on Implementing the Biodiversity Duty

• Working with the grain of nature – A biodiversity strategy for England

• Guidance for Local Authorities on Implementing the Biodiversity Duty

• An invitation to shape the Nature of England – Discussion document

All biodiversity publications