Engaging with local and national biodiversity policy

Dr. Pam Berry, Senior Research Fellow, Environmental Change Institute. Dr. Alison Smith, Senior Research Associate, Environmental Change Institute. Maria Dance, D.Phil. Student, School of Geography and the Environment

• Start  Wednesday 19 May 2021 10:00am
• Finish    Wednesday 19 May 2021 11:00am

Recent years have seen a significant step-change in attention to biodiversity as a political priority for governments worldwide. This year is due to culminate in the agreement of the United Nations Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and domestically, the UK Environment Bill will rewrite post-Brexit rules on everything from agriculture to pollution for many years to come. Considering these developments: What is the role of academic research in informing and scrutinising policy trajectories? How can academics from different disciplines and career stages more effectively engage with policymakers? With many interconnected social, economic, and technological dimensions to account for, what even is policy for biodiversity? And, where do we want it to go in future?

Biodiversity is directly and indirectly impacted by local and national policy. In this seminar, we will discuss the nature of policy for biodiversity in the UK, from the role of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to the work of local councils in developing local planning and development policies. In doing so, we will consider the strategies academic researchers might take to engage with policy at local and national scales. We will ask: How can relationships be forged with civil servants, parliament and politicians? How can research evidence help decision makers respond to societal concerns? Through discussions with academics experienced in policy engagement, we will discuss successes and challenges of policy engagement and identify practical skills for those interested in developing their own policy engagement strategy within the UK.

Chair

• Trisha Gopalakrishna, School of Geography and the Environment.

Panellists

• Dr. Pam Berry, Senior Research Fellow, Environmental Change Institute
• Dr. Alison Smith, Senior Research Associate, Environmental Change Institute
• Maria Dance, D.Phil. Student, School of Geography and the Environment

Supported by the Oxford Policy Engagement Network (OPEN) and the Biodiversity Network.

For enquiries , please contact Dr. Jasper Montana: jasper.montana@ouce.ox.ac.uk