Consultation & Inquiry Responses
We regularly respond to government consultations and parliamentary inquiries on a range of environmental and scientific topics, individually or in partnership with other organisations. We focus on synthesising and communicating the relevant ecological evidence, and representing the views of the ecological community.
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Submitting high-quality responses relies on the expertise of our members. If you would like to contribute to consultations and inquiries, please register on our Interests and Expertise Database, or contact our Policy Manger.
2013
Biodiversity Offsetting Green Paper
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs consultation
November 2013
(363 KB pdf)
Our response, informed by a meeting of BES members, highlighted that any offsetting policy must be based on scientific evidence and on a transparent and consistent mechanism. For many habitats, evidence on ecological restoration remains incomplete.
Ownership and governance of NERC centres
Natural Environment Research Council call for evidence
August 2013
(71 KB pdf)
We emphasised the importance of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology for ecological science in the UK, including through long-term experiments and freely available datasets.
Environment and climate change: review of balance of competences
August 2013
(118 KB pdf)
Our response demonstrated the importance of EU competence over the natural environment, and the positive impacts of EU measures on the UK’s water quality and biodiversity.
Scottish Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (stage 1)
Scottish Government Consultation
June 2013
(382 KB pdf)
Our Scottish Policy Group responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation, with an accompanying letter emphasising the importance of the ecosystems approach and effective monitoring.
Science and research funding priorities for the Spending Review
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills consultation
May 2013
(181 KB pdf)
We wrote to BIS to illustrate the important contribution of ecological research to economic prosperity, as well as its social and environmental impacts.
Triennial Review of the Research Councils
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills consultation
February 2013
(74 KB pdf)
Our response emphasised the need for the Haldane Principle to be maintained, whilst stressing the need to better support interdisciplinary research whilst maintaining separate Research Councils.
2012
2020 challenge for Scotland's biodiversity
Scottish Government Consultation
September 2012
(120 KB pdf)
Our response welcomed the development of the strategy and called for improved dialogue between scientists and policymakers to inform its implementation, including the establishment of a Centre for Expertise on Biodiversity.
2011
Natural Environment White Paper
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee inquiry
June 2011
(82 KB pdf)
Our evidence welcomed many of the initiatives proposed in the White Paper, but highlighted additional work required to establish a coherent ecological network.
Forest Research
House of Commons Science and Technology Committee Inquiry
June 2011
(94 KB pdf)
Our evidence argued that the forest research sector has been underfunded and too narrowly focused.
Developing a national strategy in taxonomy and systematics
Natural Environment Research Council consultation
May 2011
(81 KB pdf)
In our response to the consultation, and a follow up letter, we highlighted the importance of long-term sustainable funding for systematics and taxonomy, support at school and undergraduate level, and for rewarding taxonomic research.