Nurturing Nature: Policy to protect and improve biodiversity

Friday, 11 May 2012

Nurturing Nature: Policy to protect and improve biodiversity

Synopsis

The world’s and England’s natural environment is under tremendous pressure. Human development is threatening the resources and services which nature, through its habitats and its wildlife, provides. This has considerable economic, as well as environmental costs. However, it is possible for policymakers and communities to reverse this decline, harnessing economic growth to avoid environmental degradation.

This report examines natural environment policy in England, and the UK’s international contribution to protecting important habitats and biodiversity. It recommends policy measures to not just halt the decline in the state of the natural environment, but to restore and improve it. It examines market-based mechanisms such as biodiversity offsetting and conservation auctions and establishes to what extent they can help us reverse the decline in our important biodiversity over the past 60 years.

Testimonials

Related Staff

Author(s):

Editor(s):

  • Simon Less

    Senior Consultant to Policy Exchange, Regulatory Policy

Related Events

Related News

  • Jobs or birds: Turning Rio rhetoric into reality

    15 June 2012

    David Shukman, BBC News's science editor cites findings from Policy Exchange report Nurturing Nature that attempts by the planning system to protect biodiversity are failing, and that their effectiveness is rarely monitored by local authorities.

  • Most councils 'can't prove' they have compensated for biodiversity damage

    11 May 2012

    Planning magazine covers Policy Exchange report Nurturing Nature, citing the report's findings that green space is being lost because local authorities are failing to force developers to replace green land lost as a result of development. The report calls for the NPPF to explicitly state that large developments must deliver a net gain in biodiversity.

  • Planning system ''is failing our wildlife''

    11 May 2012

    Public Service magazine covers Policy Exchange report Nurturing Nature. It reports the finding that local authorities are failing to enforce rules designed to protect England's natural environment.

  • Planning system 'failing' wildlife

    11 May 2012

    The Independent covers Nurturing Nature, Policy Exchange's recent report on biodiversity. They report the discovery that steps to protect wildlife habitats from local development are being haphazardly followed - if at all - resulting in loss of over an acre of green space for every 2.5 acres developed.

  • Countryside under threat as developers fail to compensate for damage to wildlife

    10 May 2012

    The Telegraph covers Policy Exchange report Nurturing Nature which criticises the effectiveness of current legislation designed to protect wildlife habitats. Head of Environment & Energy and report author Guy Newey is quoted stressing that development can still be encouraged while at the same time improving England's natural environment.

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If you would like a hard copy of this report priced at £10 + £3 p&p then please email: janet.batterbee@policyexchange.org.uk