How I can help you conserve nature

The following Nature Conservation Consulting services are primarily provided by me, where necessary, in collaboration with other freelance experts and organisations that I know and trust from my work with them over the years.

Policy evaluation and development

Drawing on experience from over 40 relevant projects, I can offer assistance with a wide range of environmental policy issues and subjects, over policy formulation, evaluation and adaptation cycles. The main services relating to the UK and EU are listed below, with some example past projects.

Nature / biodiversity strategies, policies and legislation

Comparison of policy objectives, targets and achievements (e.g. as for my recent assessment of divergence in UK and EU nature targets; and comparison of protected area coverage in my recent book on Nature Conservation in Europe).
Evaluation of policy effectiveness, relevance, efficiency, coherence and added value, as, for example, in the study supporting the Fitness Check of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives.
Assessment of the potential environmental and socio-economic impacts (including the costs and benefits) of policies and legislation, such as carried out for the currently proposed EU Regulation on Nature Restoration.
Evaluation of policy implementation and achievements (in relation to targets and compiled performance indicators) and the factors affecting them (e.g. as for the EU 2010 and 2020 Biodiversity Strategies, and preparation of the 6^th EU report to the CBD).
Identification and assessment of policy options, for example in studies relating to achieving no net loss, or net gain, of biodiversity and ecosystem services, in the EU and in England (including an evaluation of pilot offsets).
Assessment of the need for, and drafting, of a multilateral instrument for nature conservation, as for the Raptors Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia, under the Convention for Migratory Species.

Land-use policies, especially agriculture and bioenergy, and effects on ecosystems and biodiversity

Literature / evidence reviews of the impacts of landuse policies, and practices, on ecosystems, biodiversity and ecosystem services (e.g. carbon storage), such as carried out in several studies on the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Renewable Energy Directive and bioenergy from crops and forest biomass.
Evaluation of environmental policy measures to mitigate environmental impacts and provide environmental benefits, for example, as carried out in relation to all the environmental measures in the EU CAP.
Estimation of the costs of land use policy measures (e.g. as carried out for the EU Biodiversity Action Plan 2020 target for ecosystem restoration, and updated for the proposed Nature Restoration Law).
Assessment of drivers of land use (e.g. agriculture, bioenergy and forestry) and their past and expected trends, to inform strategic biodiversity conservation planning (e.g. as in studies of land abandonment in Europe, trends in key factors affecting agriculture and birds in Europe, and the environmental effects of declining consumption of red meat in England).

Ecological advice

As I am an experienced ecologist and ornithologist, I can also offer advice in relation to a variety of scientific and technical issues relating to nature conservation policies and their practical implementation, monitoring and adaptive management. Depending on requirements, the provision of guidance may involve literature reviews and consultations with relevant practitioners and other experts. For example, with respect to the UK and EU, key topics I can contribute to include:

Literature reviews, providing independent assessments of evidence, such as carried out on the impacts of the CAP Greening Measures on biodiversity, and the effects of upland burning in the UK on biodiversity, soils and hydrology.
Design and implementation of CAP agri-environment-climate measures or equivalent land management schemes in the UK (e.g. as in guidance provided on the management of Natura 2000 sites; and for result-based payment schemes).
Climate change and biodiversity, including adaptation strategies for biodiversity, and the potential for ecosystem-based measures (nature-based solutions) to contribute to climate change mitigation and wider adaptation (e.g. as I am currently updating for Natura 2000, for the European Commission).
Guidance on the management and monitoring of protected areas, such as produced for the EEA on management approaches in the EU; management of farmland in Natura 2000 sites, for the European Commission; monitoring of protected areas, for IUCN; and protected areas in the UK, for the statutory nature conservation agencies.
Ecosystem restoration/rewilding, including the development and costing of strategies (as for example, recently carried out for the Commission as part of the development of the proposed EU restoration targets and EU Restoration law).
No net loss / net gain of biodiversity, including advice on best practices (as recently provided in guidance for the European Commission) and independent assessments of proposed offsetting schemes (e.g. drawing on practical experience and from the evaluation of the pilot offsets in England).
Local nature recovery strategies, drawing on and integrating opportunities (as above), including agri-environment type schemes, ecosystem restoration and climate adaptation requirements and initiatives, and biodiversity net gain schemes and project.

Environmental writing

In addition to writing project related reports and published papers, I also prepare commissioned articles, such as:

Environmental campaign materials (e.g. as provided to NGOs in relation to the EU CAP, bioenergy and wind energy).
Investigative reports on environmental issues (e.g. the recent divergence in UK and EU nature targets).
Briefing documents and blogs summarising key nature conservation developments (e.g. as carried out on EU environmental issues for the UK statutory nature conservation agencies for over six years whilst at IEEP).
Articles on topical and important nature conservation issues (e.g. for British Wildlife on the 2011 White Paper on the environment, 25 Year Environment Plan, and 2023 Environmental Improvement plan).

Project management

Over the years I have co-ordinated a large number of projects for NGOs, governmental bodies, and businesses, covering local, national and EU / European issues, many of which have involved large multi-disciplinary teams and international collaboration. Whilst at IEEP alone, I led, or contributed to, over 25 major multi-disciplinary studies for the European Commission, European Parliament and UK and EU Member State authorities. This experience has provided lessons and insights, which I can offer in support of existing projects and proposals, including through:

Preparation of tenders and proposals.
Management of projects or project components / tasks.
Project Quality Assurance and independent report reviews.