Biodiversity Working Group

Chair: Nicola Hutchinson, Plantlife
Vice Chair: Miles King, The Grasslands Trust
Secretary: Kirsten Loveday

The Biodiversity Working Group aims to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by working to improve the UK BAP process and seeks to ensure that the England Biodiversity Strategy is fully implemented. The group leads Link’s Post-2010 Campaign that strives to push biodiversity up the political agenda and give it the rightful recognition at the highest level.

Update from the group: January 2012

All Party Parliamentary Group on Biodiversity

The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Biodiversity met on 16 January to examine ‘The Economics of Biodiversity and the Valuation of Natural Capital’. Discussions were focused around ecosystem services and how natural capital can be integrated into national accounting. The keynote speakers were Lord Deben, President of GLOBE International and Pavan Sukhdev, author of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). Presentations were also given by Natural England Vice Chair and Environment Bank Founder David Hill; Tim Jenkins from the New Economics Foundation; Roddy Fairley from Scottish Natural Heritage and Giles Atkinson from London School of Economics.

Link Biodiversity Working Group meeting

Following the APPG on Biodiversity, Link’s Biodiversity Working Group (BWG) met to discuss work planning for 2012. This included the Government’s Biodiversity2020 delivery plan and Link’s critique of the plan.  Link will be meeting with Defra in February to highlight which actions in the delivery plan should be prioritised.  In addition, a meeting with Natural England has also been scheduled in February, to discuss the definition of habitats and species outcomes as stated in Biodiversity2020.

Terrestrial Biodiversity Group

The Terrestrial Biodiversity Group (TBG),  part of the Governance structure for the  delivery of Biodiversity2020, held a meeting on 24 January, chaired by Natural England. Nicola Hutchinson, Chair of the BWG, represented Link and discussed Link’s options as delivery partners in the Biodiversity2020 implementation plan. Discussion also included the TBG work plan. The next TBG meeting is scheduled for 23 February.  For more information regarding TBG please contact Kirsten.

Biodiversity Indicators

It was announced at the UK Biodiversity Indicator Steering Group meeting on 6 December that the next publication date for UK indicators will be 22 May.  The group now has a new Chair, Andy Scott, Science Director for the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

People Engagement Group

Following Link’s invitation to join the People Engagement Group (PEG) of Biodiversity 2020 in December 2011, Heather McFarlane at the Bat Conservation Trust, has kindly agreed to represent Link on this group. The first PEG meeting is scheduled to take place on 9 February.