Celebrating our Success

Advising conservation policy: Developing the UK MPA network

JNCC experts have provided scientific advice to help identify and designate marine protected areas (MPAs) in the UK’s offshore waters, extending from the edge of territorial waters (12 nm from the coast) out to the UK Continental Shelf. The first offshore sites were designated in 2008. As of 2022, there were 76 MPAs with a total extent of over 260,000 km² in UK offshore waters, larger than the land area of the UK. These sites provide vital protection to conserve and recover marine biodiversity.

Integrating the value of nature into decision making: Assessing the UK’s global environmental footprint

Acknowledging the UK’s environmental impact overseas has become increasingly important. For over 15 years, JNCC has been undertaking work aimed at understanding the complexities of measuring the environmental impacts of UK consumption globally and the accompanying trade-offs. For example, what effects do UK consumer choices have on other countries? We have led the development of the first ever indicator exploring this topic that allows for a detailed breakdown of impact by commodity and country. This has been included as a component indicator for measuring progress towards the global Target 16 of the Kunming-Montreal Global  Biodiversity Framework.

Assessing and measuring changes in nature: Surveillance and monitoring of the UK’s terrestrial habitats

For over 30 years volunteer-based species recording schemes have been at the heart of what JNCC does. They are now complemented by the use of satellite technology, which has revolutionised environmental monitoring in ways that could barely have been imagined. Combining satellite data with other data sources and undertaking sophisticated modelling have moved us beyond basic habitat mapping and monitoring to detecting change both in the UK and overseas. Recently, new schemes have been developed, such as the National Plant Monitoring Scheme and the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme. Existing schemes have evolved to keep up with the fast-paced world we live in. These innovative schemes help to sharpen the picture of how nature is faring, allow us to measure progress and target action to help nature recover.

Together for Nature

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