Our work at a UK scale

The UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales) has a diverse mix of habitats and species for its small size (approximately 240,000 km²), with a marine area approximately 3.5 times the size of the land area.  Some of these are of global significance.

In the UK, nature conservation is mainly a devolved responsibility.  It is driven by a wide range of polices, legislation and agreements, and delivered by a range of bodies, from the statutory, voluntary, academic and business sectors. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own country-level strategies for biodiversity and the environment. Obligations arising from international treaties and conventions are the responsibility of the UK Government, with the devolved administrations responsible for implementing obligations that concern devolved matters.

JNCC has strong links with the devolved governments and the country nature conservation bodies through its statutory remit, and plays an important role in nature conservation at a UK scale, by co-ordinating nature conservation action at a UK level; working in partnerships to provide common approaches, shared solutions and best practice; and providing a cost-effective and robust environmental evidence base across the UK.

Recent work includes: