CBD implementation: England

Note: this page refers to activities specific to the implementation of the CBD in England. A separate page provides information on activities relevant to the implementation of the CBD across the UK, including those of relevance to England. 

Relevant Government Bodies

As there is no devolved government for England, responsibility for biodiversity conservation in England remains with the UK Government. Within the UK Government, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the lead government department for the implementation of the CBD in England.

The following UK Government Arms-Length Public Bodies contribute to the implementation of the CBD in England:


Relevant Government Policies

In 2011, Defra published ‘Biodiversity 2020: A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services’. It set the strategy for how England would achieve its commitments under the Aichi Targets and therefore represents England’s national biodiversity strategy.

In 2018, Defra published ‘A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Protect the Environment’. This plan sets out the UK Government’s long-term approach to protecting and enhancing the environment in England for the next generation. It covers many aspects of environmental management, including biodiversity conservation. This plan does not supersede Biodiversity 2020. Rather, it sets a wider strategic policy context within which Biodiversity 2020 will continue to be implemented and a post-2020 strategy for biodiversity conservation will be developed. It also outlines a limited number of specific biodiversity conservation actions to happen by 2020 which compliment Biodiversity 2020. 

In addition to Biodiversity 2020, Defra has also published a number of more specific strategies which also contribute to the implementation of the CBD in England. This includes:


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