Summary of priorities

International nature conservation

International nature conservation remains an important facet of JNCC’s work. UK Government is committed to making an appropriate contribution towards the global and EU targets to reduce significantly/halt the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, delivered through multilateral environmental agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, and EU policy and legislation. As the deadline for these targets approaches, attention is increasingly being directed to post-2010 initiatives.

JNCC’s role is to act as a link between international agreements and domestic implementation. We provide technical support to Government in its interactions with European and global decision-making bodies, and provide intelligence and analysis to underpin the development and implementation of devolved policy.

We take a thematic approach to our international work, promoting consistent messages on the main drivers of biodiversity loss, such as climate change and invasive alien species, across the many different policy and legislative mechanisms.

Marine nature conservation

Nature conservation in the marine environment is not as well developed as it is terrestrially, but this situation is changing rapidly. Governments in the UK are devoting more resources to marine work to meet commitments under the OSPAR Convention, the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Habitats and Birds Directives, and new domestic marine legislation.

With enhanced funding from Defra, JNCC will be playing an important role in helping Government to meet its commitments in 2009/10. Our efforts will be focused beyond territorial waters, but we will also work with the country conservation bodies and others to ensure that there is a sound evidence base to support decision-making across the marine environment and that international obligations can be met in a consistent manner.

Data and evidence

Over the period of this business plan, JNCC will continue to play a key role in collating and disseminating evidence to support environmental decision-taking and policy development within the UK. We will build on our long-standing commitment to biodiversity monitoring and surveillance in the UK, by contributing to broader environmental assessments such as the UK’s National Ecosystem Assessment and Charting Progress 2. We will enhance the policy-relevance of biodiversity data by developing tailored information products to support specific requirements such as the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and country biodiversity strategies. 

We will also increase our engagement with international initiatives, such as the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (IPBES), to ensure that the UK makes an effective contribution and that UK data can be placed within a wider geographical context.

UK standards and co-ordination

Devolution has altered the political framework within which JNCC operates. Within the UK, environmental policy is largely devolved and JNCC’s new strategy acknowledges that there is a diminishing need for UK conservation standards and co-ordination (except on matters relating to the UK as an EU Member State and reserved matters) and little requirement for UK policy advice.

However, there is an ongoing need for UK-wide standards and reporting in some areas, as set out by the UK Biodiversity Partnership in Conserving Biodiversity – the UK Approach. JNCC will continue to help Government fulfil its UK obligations.