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Updated 12th Feb 2010
In the United Kingdom, the 2006 Natural Environment and Rural Communites Act places a duty upon public authorities to take account of the impacts which the normal exercise of their functions may have on biodiversity. This applies to all public authorities - including county and city councils, government offices, schools and higher education authorities, public health and social welfare authorities, the police and fire services, museums, sports and tourism bodies and the prison service.
Run by the Wales Biodiversity Partnership, this annual training course at Plas Tan y Bwlch training centre in Snowdonia National Park provides public authorities with guidance on how they can address the Biodiversity Duty within their various areas of activity. The 2009 course was organised in partnership with the COHAB Initiative Secretariat and Natural England, and examined the importance of biodiversity to business development and econoomic security, public health and social welfare. The aims of the training course were:
(1) to increase awareness of the fundamental importance of biodiversity to the economy, to health and to society, and of the supporting legislation.
(2) to demonstrate why biodiversity is important to the economy and to society
(3) to examine how to mainstream the biodiversity duty into non-environment areas, especially economic development, social development, and public health.
(4) to explore approaches to implementing the biodiversity duty which bring benefits to business and communities and help meet the UK's obligations under EU and UN agreements.
Copies of presentations from throughout the course, plus a summary of key points, can be downloaded below. All files are in pdf format (requires Adobe Reader)
 What is biodiversity and why is it important? - Joanna Robertson, CCW
The Biodiversity Duty in Scotland - Gareth Heavisides, Scottish Government / SG Rural Group
The Biodiversity Duty in England - Duncan Williams, DEFRA Biodiversity Policy Unit
Biodiversity and human well-being – diets, disease, drugs, and disasters – COHAB Initiative
Natural England’s programmes in health and biodiversity– Dave Stone, Natural England
Linking biodiversity with mental and physical health - William Bird MD, Natural England
Integrating biodiversity into Strategic Planning Assessments – COHAB Initiative
Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems – Gary Grant, AECOM Design & Planning
Making contracts work for wildlife – Chris Jones, Telford and Wrekin Council
Building partnerships for biodiversity and construction – Peter Cush, DOE Northern Ireland
Workshop – Addressing public health and biodiversity considerations holistically within the planning process
Economies and Ecosystems – COHAB Initiative
Making Sport Sustainable – a case study from the Golf Sector – Jonathan Smith, Golf Environment Organisation
Biodiversity in business and finance – Laura Somerville, Fauna and Flora International
Business and Biodiversity Offsets – Laura Somerville, Fauna and Flora International
Wildlife and tourism in Scotland - Caroline Warburton, Wild Scotland
Workshop - Fulfilling your Biodiversity Duty - Idea and Process
Workshop - Fulfilling your Biodiversity Duty - Project sheets
Summary of presentations
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