Slide 1

NERC Act, biodiversity duty and you

Nick White

Why Care About Biodiversity?

An Unvalued and Threatened Asset

NERC Duty Re-Cap

•Natural Environmentand Rural CommunitiesAct 2006

•Duty on ALL publicbodies to:

‘have a duty to have regard to

the conservation of biodiversity

in the exercise their functions’

•NERC applied toEngland & Wales.Separate legislation inScotland

•Defra commitment toreview the Duty –completed 2010

What Areas Does NERC Cover?

•The Duty coversvirtually every aspect ofactivities undertaken(including)

–Procurement

–Grounds and facilitiesmanagement andmaintenance

–Staff

–Customers/suppliers

–Communications

–Organisational policies andprocedures

–etc

NERC and Universities

•2010 NERC Duty review main findings

–19% of universities contacted responded to survey

–Of those 61% aware of Duty

–All (100%) believed Duty was relevant to them

•Actions undertaken by Universities

–52% set aside time for staff to undertake vol activities

–43% issued internal guidance on biodiversity

–48% held public consultation/events on biodiversity

–61% had biodiversity strategy/policy

–51% had corporate objectives/action plan

–70% had incorporated into other policies

–61% incorporated into land management policies

–78% into grounds maintenance contracts

Drivers for Action Identified byUniversities

•Beyond the Duty itself the following drivers forbiodiversity action were identified:

–Staff and students – e.g. Establishment ofenvironmental volunteering groups and academic staffprojects

–Participation in EcoCampus scheme

–Recognition that biodiversity rich estate can help attractstudents and attract and retain staff

–Perceived ‘Moral Duty’ to do something

•Guidance Universities were using

–Defra NERC Duty guidance (39%)

–UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP)

–Biodiversity on Campus – An EAUC Practical Guide

University Case Study 1

Loughborough University – external awareness raising

•establishing a number of campus walks to help studentsand the local community experience nature on the campus;

•establishing a conservation action group to undertakepractical conservation work – provides students withenvironmental education and exposure to conservationissues;

•woodland conservation days to get students into thewoodlands on campus to undertake habitat works

• the ‘Trees for Loughborough’ scheme, which is a carbon-offsetting scheme that takes into account biodiversityissues, as well as promoting action on climate change.

University Case Study 2

Warwick University – Integrating Biodiversity Into

Environmental Policies

• “seek to integrate a consideration of environmentalissues into all relevant aspects of the university’s teachingand research activities;

•in conjunction with local, national and other agencies,promote and raise awareness of good environmentalmanagement policies and practices among staff, studentsand other stakeholders across the university;

• promote a purchasing policy which favours thoseproducts and services which cause the least harm to theenvironment;

• develop and maintain the grounds and buildings of theuniversity in an environmentally sensitive way, seeking toprotect and enhance natural habitats and biodiversity.”