Natural Capital Initiative: Linking Environment and Policy

The BES is a major partner and sponsor in a new project, the 'Natural Capital Initiative', which has launched its website today.

The BES, the Institute of Biology, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the Science Council are co-operating as a partnership (the NCI) to deliver a three-day symposium in April 2009, aiming to bring together ecologists, scientists from other disciplines, policy-makers and others (including architects, land managers, planners, representatives from business and from across Government departments) to discuss gaps in research and implementation of the ecosystem approach - and how to solve them.

The three-day event, from 29 April - 1 May 2009, consists of a high-profile first day with keynote speeches and discussion, followed by two days of case -studies. Groups will get together to discuss the ecosystem approach in the context of rural land-use, urban planning and the marine environment.

Confirmed speakers for day one include: the Government Chief Scientist, Sir John Beddington; Professor Gretchen Daily, Stanford University; Lord May of Oxford, Committee on Climate Change; Baroness Young, Care Quality Commission and Graham Wynne, CEO RSPB. We will also be joined by figures to discuss the importance of an ecosystem approach to business: Lucy Neville-Rolfe, Director of Corporate and Legal Affairs at Tesco and Richard Brown, CEO Eurostar, are amongst our high-profile speakers.

You can find more information about the symposium at www.naturalcapitalinitiative.org.uk. Registration will open in January.