A new strategy, released on Wednesday, February 27, by the UK and coordinated by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), details the UK's approach to meeting the ambitious goals established by an international biodiversity agreement.

The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) outlines the UK's response to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which seeks to stop and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

A flourishing natural environment is crucial for human prosperity and well-being. However, nature is facing a global crisis, with species and habitats declining, ecosystem functions deteriorating rapidly, and an increasing detachment of humans from the natural world.

In response to these growing threats, 196 Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) gathered in December 2022 to adopt the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). This framework includes 23 global targets to be met by 2030, such as expanding protected areas to cover at least 30% of land and seas, reducing pollution from all sources to levels that do not harm biodiversity, and promoting biodiversity and sustainability across agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry.

Additionally, the convention aims to ensure the sustainable, legal, and safe harvesting and trade of wild species.

As a Party to the CBD, the UK has expressed its commitment to contributing towards the achievement of the global targets outlined in the GBF. Each Party is required to develop a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) that outlines their approach to meeting the 23 global targets and four goals of the GBF. The plan must also include measures for monitoring progress and reporting on advancements in their National Reports, due in 2026 and 2029.

In the UK, the responsibility for nature and conservation is devolved to the four countries—England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales—allowing each to address the requirements of the GBF in their own way.

However, all four nations acknowledge the importance of collaborating across borders to drive collective action at the UK level and create a positive global impact. The UK Overseas Territories (OTs) and Crown Dependencies (CDs), which hold much of the UK’s biodiversity, also play a crucial role in this plan to meet the GBF targets.

As the statutory nature advisor to the four countries of the UK, and with strong connections to the devolved governments, Overseas Territories (OTs), and Crown Dependencies (CDs), the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) coordinated the collaborative development of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) across the UK. This involved working closely with biodiversity leads from each government to ensure a unified approach.

UK published National Targets Template in 2024 to meet CBD deadline

The UK's National Targets Template was released on 1 August 2024, outlining the country's national targets along with a list of commitments, policies, and indicators that will contribute to achieving each target. This publication fulfilled the UK's international commitment to meet the deadline set by the CBD.

The UK’s NBSAP document, titled Blueprint for Halting and Reversing Biodiversity Loss: The UK’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for 2030, has now been released. This document consolidates the UK’s commitments, targets, and indicators into an ambitious plan aimed at achieving the vision of the GBF.

The document also features policy commitments from three UK Overseas Territories—the British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands—and one Crown Dependency, the Isle of Man.

Additionally, the new UK Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy, which is currently being developed, aims to support all fourteen Overseas Territories by directing investment toward their specific needs and priorities.