Category Archives: Government
New Members Wanted for Defra Darwin Committee
Defra is looking for eight new members for its Darwin Expert Committee. This is a Committee made up of independent experts which advises Ministers on funding proposals received under its Darwin Initiative. They are particularly seeking individuals who have good … Continue reading
Doing More with Less for the Natural Environment in 2012
Yesterday the BES Policy Team attended ‘Natural Environment 2012′, a conference in central London to explore the Natural Environment White Paper (NEWP) and the actions that have taken place to implement this since its launch in 2011. Delegates were drawn … Continue reading
Defra to research options to reduce impact of buzzard predation on gamebirds
Conservationists have reacted angrily to plans by Defra to investigate possible measures to keep buzzards from targeting game birds. According to the RSPB, Defra is considering options including taking buzzards into captivity and destroying nests in order to protect young … Continue reading
Westminster debate: Rio+20 and the future of sustainable development on the International Day of Biodiversity
An All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Development & the Environment (APPG IDE) meeting was held today in Westminster to discuss challenges facing policy-makers ahead of the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June this year. The APPG IDE … Continue reading
UK’s Natural Capital Committee beginning to take shape
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman last week announced the appointment of five members to the recently formed independent Natural Capital Committee. The members are experts in the fields of natural science and economics, with a considerable range of specialist knowledge and … Continue reading
Lords report warns of urgent need to plan for an uncertain future for water resources
Europe is not doing enough to prepare itself for an uncertain future for the continent’s water sources, according to a report published by the Lords Select Committee today. The report, An Indispensable Resource: EU Freshwater Policy, is timely, as the … Continue reading
Consultation is now open for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive
Defra together with the Northern Ireland Executive, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government launched the consultation on the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) in March. One and a half months are left to submit thoughts on the implementation … Continue reading
Government to tick all the boxes with the new bioenergy strategy
The UK Government’s new Bioenergy Strategy released last week aims to accelerate the use of renewable energy generated sustainably from biomass. Bioenergy is stated in the strategy as ‘one of the most versatile forms of low carbon and renewable energy’ … Continue reading
Allowing Humanity to Flourish in a Crowded World
The Royal Society yesterday published ‘People and the Planet‘, a report which marks the end of nearly two years of work by a group including both the British Ecological Society’s current President, Professor Georgina Mace FRS and a past-President of … Continue reading
The Death of British Farmland?
Yesterday’s meeting of the Cross Party House of Common’s Agroecology Group discussed the potential for soil management practices to influence the future of farming in the UK. The session was chaired by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer and co- hosted … Continue reading