BES hosts Parliamentary Reception on Biodiversity Post-2010

Last night the BES and the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM) held an evening reception in Parliament to launch their new position paper- ‘Conserving & Managing Biodiversity Beyond 2010‘. Together with Countdown 2010 and in association with the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) and the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum (UKOTCF), the reception aimed to highlight the importance of biodiversity to MPs, policy-makers and NGOs, review the success of the 2010 biodiversity target, and influence debate on its replacement.

The reception, which was kindly hosted by Lord Selborne, was attended by over 100 guests, comprising a diverse range of MPs, Lords, academics, policymakers, NGO representatives and professional ecologists. After the launch of the Position Paper, excellent speeches were given by Sarah Robinson, IUCN-UK National Committee; Pavan Sukhdev, Leader of The Economics of Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity (TEEB) study, and Professor Bob Watson, Chief Scientifc Advisor at Defra. One recurring theme was the importance of generating widespread recognition of the true value of biodiversity and ecosystem services amongst the wider public, as well as the need for a radical departure from a ‘business-as-usual’ approach. Speeches were followed by a stimulating question and answer session with the speakers, before the continuation of the wine reception and an opportunity for further networking.

To download a copy of the new Position Statement, which details the ecological and conservation community’s view on actions that need to be taken post 2010 to halt biodiversity loss in the UK, please see here. If you would like further information on the policy work of the BES, or want to be involved in the future, please see here.