Biodiversity in danger without swift action, MEPs say</h1> <article> <h1>Biodiversity in danger without swift action, MEPs say</h1> <p>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:20:49 GMT</p> <p>With Europe facing a “silent crisis” of biodiversity loss, MEPs are considering ways to strengthen protections for habitats and species but are divided over how to compel EU national governments to live up to their commitments.<br /> <br /> A draft resolution debated 23 January in the European Parliament’s environment committee says past efforts at biodiversity protection and restoring habitats have largely failed and urges the EU executive to pursue more forceful policies.<br /> <br /> “We should be doing a bit more than producing roadmaps and we should be very clear and strong otherwise we will fail again and again,” said Bas Eickhout, a Green MEP from the Netherlands and member of the panel.<br /> <br /> The draft calls for restoring 30% of damaged ecosystems by 2020 - doubling recent recommendations made by the European Commission. It also urges strengthening conservation provisions in the EU’s agricultural policy and to create an EU coast guard to improve enforcement of marine laws.<br /> <br /> Read the full story at <a href="http://www.euractiv.com/sustainability/biodiversity-danger-swift-action-meps-news-510320">http://www.euractiv.com/sustainability/biodiversity-danger-swift-action-meps-news-510320</a></p><br /><br /> </article> <article> <h1>Decisions must be made at Rio Earth summit, urges UN official</h1> <p>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:05:00 GMT</p> <p>This story in The Guardian opens the debate on the forthcoming Rio+20 conference due to be held this year. </p> <p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/11/decisions-rio-earth-summit-un">http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/11/decisions-rio-earth-summit-un</a></p> <p>Did the Rio Conference of 1992 lead to decisive action to protect the planet and its biodiversity? Are we now a more sustainable civilisation? Disturbingly, our Prime Minister has already said he is not going. </p><br /><br /> </article> <article> <h1>The Independent Panel on Forestry</h1> <p>Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:26:01 GMT</p> <p>The Independent Panel on Forestry, established in the wake of the Government's now cancelled proposal to sell off the nation's public forests, has just issued it's second Newsletter to set out the progress which it is making. </p> <p>The Newsletter can be downloaded <a href="/Data/Sites/1/GalleryImages/pdf/ForestryPanelIssue2.pdf">here</a> (PDF 230KB)</p><br /><br /> </article> <article> <h1>Some comments on Biodiversity</h1> <p>Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:49:12 GMT</p> <p>If you want to read some very thoughtful comments on the current crisis facing biodiversity, you could do no better than read Miles Kings blog. Miles is Director of Conservation of the Grasslands Trust who blogs about nature conservation and wider environmental issues. </p> <p>See his webpage here ( <a href="http://milesking.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/the-chancellors-latest-attack-on-the-environment/">http://milesking.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/the-chancellors-latest-attack-on-the-environment/</a> )for a posting on the Chancellor's latest attack on the Environment, where you will also see links to articles on the emasculation of Natural England and the conflicts within Government on the Environment. The free market and deregulation fraternity clearly have all forms of environmental protection in their gunsights, and aim to reverse the last 20 years of grindingly slow progress in protecting our countryside and its biodiversity. </p> <p> </p><br /><br /> </article> <article> <h1>Planet under Pressure</h1> <p>Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:40:00 GMT</p> <p>Ahead of next June's Rio+20 Earth Summit, another conference will be held in London from March 26-29 to draw attention to the critical environmental thresholds which are being broken by the pressure of human activity. The Planet Under Pressure Conference </p> <a href="http://www.planetunderpressure2012.net/">http://www.planetunderpressure2012.net/</a> <p>will call for an overhaul of the structure of the United Nations to cope with the scale of the environmental challenges that face the world. A comprehensive article has been posted on Eureka Alert at</p> <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/essp-uor112111.php">http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/essp-uor112111.php</a> <p> </p> <p> </p><br /><br /> </article> <article> <h1>Latest news about IBPES - Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services</h1> <p>Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:29:00 GMT</p> <p>In response to the Busan Outcome, UNGA resolution 65/162 and the UNEP GC/GMEF 26 decision on IPBES, UNEP is working closely with UNESCO, FAO, UNDP and other organisations to convene a plenary meeting on IPBES, in the form of an open-ended intergovernmental meeting, which is provisionally scheduled for two sessions.<br /> <br /> Two sessions of the plenary meeting are necessary to allow IPBES to become fully operationalised.<br /> <br /> At the first one, it is expected that government representatives will consider the draft principles and procedures governing the work of IPBES, its governance structure, processes for nomination and selection of host institution(s) and host country for the platform, and initial elements of the work programme.<br /> <br /> The second session will be in a position to determine these modalities and institutional arrangements and consider the detailed draft work programme of IPBES.<br /> <br /> The first session of the plenary is scheduled from 3-7 October 2011 and will be held in Nairobi, Kenya.<br /> <br /> The second session will be held in early 2012.</p><br /><br /> </article> <article> <h1>Landscape Scale conservation – The Think BIG Report</h1> <p>Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:10:00 GMT</p> <p>The England Biodiversity Group launched this report at the same time as the Government Environment White Paper making the case for landscape-scale conservation and taking an ecosystem approach. <br /> <br /> This Think BIG report was jointly written by representatives of the conservation, land owning and farming communities together with statutory agencies who collectively make up the England Biodiversity Group. It sets out why the England Biodiversity Group supports the White Paper’s move towards landscape-scale conservation and the significance of linking this to an ecosystem approach. It also provides advice on how to implement the recommendations of the Making Space for Nature review, which calls for ‘more, bigger, better and joined’ places for nature. The report does not go into policy detail but rather summarises the case for such an approach, highlights examples of where a landscape-scale approach is already being implemented and some lessons learnt.<br /> <br /> The report can be downloaded as a PDF file from here; <a href="http://naturalengland.etraderstores.com/NaturalEnglandShop/NE309 ">http://naturalengland.etraderstores.com/NaturalEnglandShop/NE309 </a></p><br /><br /> </article> <article> <h1>Biodiversity 2020</h1> <p>Sat, 20 Aug 2011 14:45:00 GMT</p> <p>The Government has published its Biodiversity Strategy for England to protect threatened species, restore habitats and place biodiversity at the heart of Government decisions by 2020.</p> <p><style type="text/css">  </style></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm" class="western">The Strategy includes the following priorities:</p> <ul> <li>Creating 200,000 hectares of new wildlife habitats by 2020 – this is equivalent to an area the size of Warwickshire</li> <li>Securing 50% of SSSIs in favourable condition, while maintaining at least 95% in favourable or recovering condition</li> <li>Trialling new approaches to setting fishing quotas to reduce discards</li> <li>Encouraging more people to get involved in conservation by supporting wildlife gardening and outdoor learning programmes</li> <li>Introducing a new designation for local green spaces to enable communities to protect places that are important to them</li> </ul> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm" class="western">The strategy will help to deliver the commitments made at the UN Biodiversity summit in Nagoya last year.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm" class="western">The document can be downloaded from</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm" class="western"><a href="http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb13583-biodiversity-strategy-2020-110817.pdf">http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb13583-biodiversity-strategy-2020-110817.pdf</a></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm" class="western"> </p><br /><br /> </article> <article> <h1>Launch of the Natural Environment White Paper, and other reports</h1> <p>Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:19:29 GMT</p> <p>The Government has published its new White Paper on the Natural Environment, and details can be obtained from the DEFFRA website at <a href="http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/natural/whitepaper/">http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/natural/whitepaper/</a> This contains a long list of proposals which offers potential for significant changes in the way that biodiversity conservation is achieved. </p> <p>Other recent DEFRA reports address a range of related environmental issues and may also be of interest;</p> <p>Embedded sustainability: a revolution in business »<br /> <a href="http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/05/embedded-sustainability-a-revolution-in-business/">http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/05/embedded-sustainability-a-revolution-in-business/</a><br /> Chris Laszlo and Nadya Zhexembayeva offer insights on sustainability and business value from Embedded Sustainability: The Next Big Competitive Advantage.</p> <p>Farming for food security and biodiversity »<br /> <a href="http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/05/farming-for-food-security-and-biodiversity/">http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/05/farming-for-food-security-and-biodiversity/</a><br /> Introducing a report by Michel Pimbert, Colin Tudge argues that access to good food is a basic human right, and that farming can feed the world without compromising biodiversity.<br /> <br /> National Ecosystem Assessment: Synthesis of the Key Findings »<br /> <a href="http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/06/national-ecosystem-assessment-synthesis-report/">http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/06/national-ecosystem-assessment-synthesis-report/</a><br /> UK National Ecosystem Assessment's independent Synthesis of Key Findings analyses the environment's benefits to society and continuing economic prosperity.</p> <p><br /> Climate Resilient Infrastructure: Preparing for a Changing Climate »<br /> <a href="http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/06/climate-resilient-infrastructure-preparing-for-a-changing-climate/">http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/06/climate-resilient-infrastructure-preparing-for-a-changing-climate/</a><br /> A cross-Government report outlines the challenges to the transport, energy, water and ICT infrastructure sectors in adapting to climate change, and need for action.</p> <p><br /> Government sets fourth carbon budget of 50% emissions reductions »<br /> <a href="http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/05/government-sets-fourth-carbon-budget-of-50-emissions-reductions/">http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/05/government-sets-fourth-carbon-budget-of-50-emissions-reductions/</a><br /> Proposals for a legal target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 to 2027 by 50% over 1990 levels, in line with advice from the Committee on Climate Change.</p> <p> </p><br /><br /> </article> <article> <h1>Launch of the UK National Ecosystem Assessment</h1> <p>Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:39:46 GMT</p> <p>The UK National Ecosystem Assessment has been published on 2 June 2011, placing a value on the services which the natural enviroment provides to us. The natural world, its biodiversity and its constituent ecosystems are critically important to our well-being and economic prosperity, but are consistently undervalued in conventional economic analyses and decision making. The Assessment makes clear the need to take this value into consideration as a fundamental part of making development sustainable. </p> <p>A webpage about the Assessment can be seen here <a href="http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/natural/uknea/">http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/natural/uknea/</a> from here a report Synthesis of the Key Findings can be downloaded (9.6MB), and there is a link to the main webpage of the UKNEA where technical papers are gradually being published. </p><br /><br /> </article> </main></body></html>