July 2020
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference focuses on the next steps for restoring and protecting biodiversity in the UK.
Areas for discussion include:
- Local Nature Recovery Strategies - looking at monitoring, resource allocation collaboration, and engagement with businesses and communities
- the potential impact of new environmental land management proposals being put forward in the Agriculture Bill
- major programmes proposed by the CCC - in tree planting, peat restoration, and reforms to agricultural practices and consumer consumption habits
- incentives and options for mandatory approaches to net gain implementation
- the role of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP)
Of course we also expect discussion to reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and what can be learned for the future, with discussion on:
- the impacts of conservation projects being paused, as well as wildlife reserves becoming neglected during lockdown
- increasing pressures on environmental charities and organisations as a result of loss in funding, along with growth in environmental crime such as fly-tipping, illegal shooting and poaching
- disruptions to biodiversity policy planning post-2020, along with delays in rolling out new programmes such as the Biodiversity Metric offsetting tool from Natural England
- benefits of reduced traffic, pollution and disturbances to wildlife, such as thriving bee populations, and how this progress on biodiversity recovery can be maintained post-lockdown
- how best to sustainably accommodate increases in public use of green spaces, whilst protecting wildlife from over-use,
- looking ahead at priorities for ensuring that recovery strategies take account of environmental policy and both species protection and biodiversity
The agenda:
- Emerging issues for the Office for Environmental Protection - with Professor Colin Reid, Professor of Environmental Law, University of Dundee, and Michael Barlow, Partner, Burges Salmon
- Enhancing biodiversity for future generations - with Dr Jane Davidson, Pro Vice-Chancellor Emeritus, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and Patron, CIEEM
- Local approaches to environmental protection: Local Nature Recovery Strategies, monitoring biodiversity, and promoting species protection
- Incorporating biodiversity net gain within the planning system - with Professor David Hill CBE, Chairman, Environment Bank, and Commissioner, Food Farming and Countryside Commission
- Priorities for ensuring biodiversity and species protection across key sectors
- Next steps for ecological restoration and protecting biodiversity - with Tony Juniper, Chair, Natural England
Developments that are relevant to the discussion:
The discussion in detail:
A green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic - ensuring policy factors in biodiversity protection, ecosystem services for climate change mitigation, and increasing public access and use of green spaces
Local approaches to biodiversity protection
- Local Nature Recovery Strategies across England - as required in the Environment Bill, looking at implementation priorities and practicalities, including how best to:
- monitor biodiversity gain or loss at a local level
- effectively allocate resources
- engage local businesses and communities in the development of local biodiversity plans
- priorities for Nature Recovery Networks in biodiversity and species protection, bringing together local authorities and other public bodies to identify priorities and opportunities
- support that will be required to reverse the decline in wildlife in the UK - including funding following the reported additional £15m for Natural England to address challenges to nature recovery
The environmental land management scheme (ELM) outlined in the Agriculture Bill, which will offer payments for tangible environmental improvements, and prospects for its impact on:
- improved air and water quality
- increased biodiversity, climate change adaptation and mitigation
- reduced risk from hazards such as flooding and drought
Major programmes proposed by the CCC - in tree planting, peat restoration, and reforms to agricultural practices and consumer consumption habits, including:
- ways that land users may need to change their strategies and operations in order to reach net zero emissions
- how industry and land users can include measures to protect biodiversity and endangered species within long-term plans
A mandatory approach to biodiversity net gain - assessing proposals outlined in the Environment Bill with targets for increase in habitat value for wildlife, including:
- the practicalities and impact of this approach
- stakeholder preparations for its introduction
- the role of private, voluntary conservation covenants between a landowners and responsible bodies such as conservation charities
The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) - looking at its role and implementation, including:
- ensuring adequate funding and autonomy for the OEP to be able to effectively monitor government and public bodies and hold them to account
- its teeth as a watchdog, with no current plans for the OEP to have the powers to issue penalties if targets are not met
- the ambition of targets for the OEP itself - ensuring UK environmental protection does not fall below EU levels, but not for the UK to improve on levels of protection compared to the EU
- practicalities of its breadth of responsibilities in helping government to achieve environmental targets in biodiversity - and across agriculture, the circular economy, climate change and air quality
Policy officials attending:
Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders.
It’s certainly the case with this one. Places have been reserved by parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Commons and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, and officials from Defra; BEIS; HM Treasury; MHCLG; the Cabinet Office; the Environment Agency; the National Audit Office; the CCC; the Department for Transport; the Government Legal Department; the Office for National Statistics; the Office of Rail and Road; the Planning Inspectorate; the Northern Ireland Environment Agency; DAERA NI; The Scottish Government and the Welsh Government.
This is a full-scale conference taking place online***
- full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording to refer back to
- information-rich discussion involving key policymakers and stakeholders
- conference materials provided in advance, including speaker biographies
- speakers presenting via webcam, accompanied by slides if they wish, using the Cisco WebEx professional online conference platform (easy for delegates - we’ll provide full details)
- opportunities for live delegate questions and comments with all speakers
- a recording of the addresses, all slides cleared by speakers, and further materials, is made available to all delegates afterwards as a permanent record of the proceedings
- delegates are able to add their own written comments and articles following the conference, to be distributed to all attendees and more widely
- networking too - there will be opportunities for delegates to e-meet and interact - we’ll tell you how!
Full information and guidance on how to take part will be sent to delegates before the conference
