Wales

Wales, renowned for its natural beauty and resources, has a wealth of biodiversity. Much of Wales forms a living landscape where many businesses, 95% of which are Small or Medium Sized Enterprises, operate in both urban and rural areas. The Business and Environment Action Plan launched by the Welsh Assembly Government expressly identifies the environment as a business issue.

The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has a duty to deliver sustainable development. Working with its agencies, WAG is helping businesses recognise and manage their impacts on the environment and to help them take advantage of new environmental opportunities and markets.

The Wales Biodiversity Partnership (WBP), with representatives from the private business sector, the Arena Network the Welsh Development Agency and Groundwork is working towards improving the understanding of what business needs to help it contribute to biodiversity objectives. The Partnership is drawing up an action programme to meet this aim.

This year’s Annual conference for Welsh Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs) was held on 14-15th September 2004. The seminar was attended by around 80 delegates who took part in a range of presentations and workshops on issues such as, working with businesses, biodiversity reporting, actions over the coming next two years. The Wales Biodiversity Partnership Award was rewarded to Ruperra Conservation Trust and Marloes Coast Project. Further information from the Seminar and biodiversity action in Wales will be available on request from the Wales Biodiversity Partnership and on their web site.

The Welsh Development Authority (WDA) is working with Arena, Groundwork Trusts and local authorities to deliver a sustainable industrial estates programme. This provides assistance to deliver biodiversity objectives and includes grant aid for practical environmental management. Guidelines have also been drawn up to improve delivery of biodiversity within the economic development sector.

In 2003 Arena Network introduced a ‘biodiversity’ category into its prestigious Green Dragon Award Scheme. The Green Dragon Environmental Standard provides a stepped mechanism aimed at small and medium sized companies to compile an Environmental Management System. Around 95% of businesses in Wales are and the scheme can help companies through guidance, certification, publicity and in some areas, funding.

Arena network published in September 2004 their Business and Biodiversity project. This three month research project investigated the level of information available to businesses in Wales on addressing biodiversity issues. The main recommendation that stem from this research are: an education programme on biodiversity needs to be established; a formal framework of funding and who to contact should be devised; biodiversity should be integrated into the Green Dragon Standards; environmental performance could be improved by a focus on supply chain and procurement. Follow the link to download the report: ARENA Network Business and Biodiversity Project.

Biodiversity actions are planned at a local level in Wales through Local Biodiversity Action Plans. The Welsh Local Biodiversity Advisory Group (WLBAG), a subgroup of the Wales Biodiversity Partnership (WBP) provides guidance and support for the development and implementation of Local Biodiversity Action Plans. Information about Local Biodiversity Action Plans and contacts is available through the UK BAP web site here.

The Welsh Assembly Government has begun work on ‘Environmental Strategy for Wales’ due to be launched in the Autumn of 2005. The strategy Steering Group includes representatives from the Countryside Council for Wales, Environmental Agency Wales and the Forestry Commission.

The Welsh Biodiversity Partnership, a group which provides the overall steer for all different players working towards implementation of the UK BAP in Wales, meets four times a year. The WBP have a bilingual website focusing on information about biodiversity and biodiversity action plans on a local and national level. Visit the website at www.biodiversitywales.org

For update Information on events and news on Biodiversity and implementation of Biodiversity Action Plans, please visit the Biodiversity Works: LBAP newsletter for Wales.

Photo Credit: Emma Crane /WBP (Beacon Beacons, Wales)