Recent News

27 February 2012 – 12 Nature Improvement Areas announced, see the press release

23 August 2011 – Economic valuation of the benefits of ecosystem services delivered by the UK Biodiversity Action Plan report published. Read the report (PDF 7MB)

23 August 2011 - A study commissioned by Defra on the ‘Benefits of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in England and Wales’ was published.

England’s biodiversity Strategy

Biodiversity 2020- A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services was launched on 19 August 2011. The strategy sets out how we will address our global and EU commitments to halt the decline in biodiversity in England. It builds on the approach set out in the Natural Environment White Paper and  takes into account the evidence provided by the National Ecosystem Assessment  and the review of England’s wildlife sites and ecological networks led by Professor Sir John Lawton (Making Space for Nature.  The strategy also highlights our ambitious commitments to conserve the marine environment.

The key elements of the new strategy are:

• a more integrated large-scale approach to conservation on land and at sea
• putting people at the heart of biodiversity policy
• reducing environmental pressures
• improving our knowledge

This is a government strategy. However, it cannot be delivered by government alone. The strategy provides an enabling framework for biodiversity action across England by partners at all levels. We will work closely with a wide partnership of stakeholders to take this forward

Natural England provide the list of species and habitats of principal importance for conserving biodiversity in England.

• Natural England website

A shared vision for UK Biodiversity conservation was adopted by both the devolved administrations and the UK government in 2007, and is set out in ‘Conserving Biodiversity – the UK Approach’.

Economic valuation of the benefits of ecosystem services delivered by the UK Biodiversity Action Plan

On 23 August a study commissioned by Defra on the ‘Economic valuation of the benefits of ecosystem services delivered by the UK Biodiversity Action Plan’ was published.  The study explores the range of valuable ecosystem service values for the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.  It shows that the value of the benefits derived from protecting biodiversity significantly exceed the costs of delivering them, which illustrates the importance of valuing the benefits of nature’s services – an approach that the Government has committed to through the recently published Natural Environment White Paper.

‘Choice experiments’ and ‘willingness to pay’ surveys for different biodiversity features were used to help understand how members of the public value biodiversity.  Ecological experts were also interviewed to help identify the ecosystem benefits that biodiversity provides.  Combining the two allowed the study to estimate the monetary value of the benefits society derives from managing habitats under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

• Read the final report (PDF 7MB)

Legislation, regulations and guidelines

• The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (PDF 510 KB) requires all public bodies to have regard to biodiversity conservation when carrying out their functions. This requirement is sometimes referred to as the ‘biodiversity duty’. It aims to raise the profile of biodiversity and embed consideration of biodiversity in decision making across the public sector.

Defra has published guidance to local authorities and other public bodies on implementing the duty.

• Guidance for Local Authorities on implementing the biodiversity duty available in English and Welsh.
• Guidance for other Public Authorities on implementing the biodiversity duty available in English and Welsh.
• Planning Policy Statement 9 (PPS9) sets out planning policies on protection of biodiversity and geological conservation through the planning system.