Government publishes biodiversity strategy

 

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

19 August 2011

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the Government’s new strategy on biodiversity, ‘Biodiversity 2020: A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services’. The strategy aims to build on the Natural Environment White Paper published earlier this year and is intended to provide a comprehensive picture of how international and EU commitments are being implemented. Speaking about the strategy Environment Secretary, the Rt. Hon Caroline Spelman MP said, “Our wildlife is not only something that we should value because it’s nice to look at. Nature underpins our very existence, giving us clean air to breathe, clean water to drink and healthy food to eat. This strategy sets out how we will stop the loss of species and habitats, so that this generation can be the first to leave our natural environment in a better state than they found it.”  The paper sets out the strategic direction for biodiversity policy over the next decade for land, rivers, lakes and at sea with key priorities including:
 
  • Creating better habitats: 90 per cent of priority habitats will be in a favourable or recovering condition with a minimum of 50 per cent of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in favourable condition by 2020; 
  • Bigger and better wildlife sites: an extra 200,000 hectares of priority habitats will be created and there will be no overall loss of habitats that are a priority to save; 
  • Adapting to climate change: A minimum of 15 per cent of very poor wildlife sites will be restored to help adapt for and mitigate against climate change; and 
  • A joined up approach: at least 17 per cent of land and inland water will be improved through more effective and integrated management including the creation of Nature Improvement Areas. 
Alongside the strategy Defra has also published a technical discussion paper detailing a set of possible indicators for assessing progress with the outcomes and objectives of the strategy. Interested parties are invited to submit evidence on the technical discussion paper to the department by the 11th November 2011.

Read the strategy
Read the Technical discussion paper
 
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