We've had a flurry of reports about the state of birds at a global, European and UK level recently.  Today sees the launch of another: Birds of Conservation Concern 4 (BoCC4).  This provides new Red, Amber and Green lists for the bird species that occur regularly in the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.  This is probably the most important report of all as it gives a clear steer as to where we should be investing…

This weekend, on the eve of the UN climate talks in Paris, 785,000 took part in over 2,300 events in 175 countries including the UK (Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Newcastle and London).  It was an incredible demonstration of global solidarity urging climate action.  

It was also a lot of fun.  My son and I joined RSPB supporters in London to clap, dance and march (in the wind and rain) for the love of nature.

But now…

Why we march

There is a letter in the Times today signed by 49 leaders of development, faith and environment groups (including Mike Clarke of the RSPB).  It explains why tens of thousands of people will be marching tomorrow.  This is what it says...

"Sir,

This weekend, thousands of people will march in London and in cities around the world, calling for action to tackle climate change. At the talks in Paris, our…

Proceedings of scientific symposiums are often not the most exciting reads. There are frequently full of fascinating and useful information and as such are vital in informing our conservation actions, but the fact remains they are usually written by scientists, for scientists, which means you sometimes need to take a fair bit of time to sift through and identify the key conclusions.

However, you may have noted that the…

Today we publish our annual Birdcrime report- the only centralised source of incident data for wild bird crime in the UK.  I am incredibly proud of this document as it reflects the hard work and dedication of volunteers, the RSPB’s Investigations team, the police, the statutory nature conservation agencies and others in tackling wildlife crime.  While impressive, the report remains a sobering read.

Here are this…

Reflecting on today’s announcement that DEFRA would be 15% in real terms by 2020 one of the RSPB's economists remarked “when you’re expecting the apocalypse a broken leg feels like a Christmas present”.

He does tend to trade in hyperbole, but Defra’s settlement is better than the 30% we had been led to expect (see here).

It seems the chancellor has been able to make use of newly predicted…

Following Friday's conference in Brussels, I am delighted to welcome my colleague, Kate Jennings, who has spearheaded the UK contribution to the campaign to defend the EU Nature Directives.  Below, she offers her reflections on a memorable day in the heart of the European Union.

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Over 2 years after the European Commission…

In the run to every Christmas, big moments seem to come thick and fast.  This year is no different.  Here's a flavour of what to expect over the next couple of weeks...

...on Wednesday, the Chancellor delivers the results of the Comprehensive Spending Review.  We'll keep an eye out for the detail of Defra's settlement hoping that core capacity remains to deliver its major environmental commitments

...on Sunday…

On the day of a crucial conference in Brussels regarding the future of the EU Nature Directives, my boss, Mike Clarke, offers his perspective on how politicians should respond to the findings of review into their effectiveness...

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For much of this year, I’ve had the privilege of being at the cutting edge of our campaign to defend the Nature Directives. In the UK, in Brussels…

With the UN climate talks in Paris now less than two weeks away, I read with interest the Government’s latest plans, out today, for the UK’s energy future (see here) . The Energy Secretary, Amber Rudd, has announced her intention to close the UK’s coal fire power stations by 2025. This is welcome news and certainly a step in the right direction. Removing this carbon-intensive fuel from our energy mix marks…

For much of this year, the RSPB has been campaigning to defend the EU Birds and Species & Habitats Directives (known as the Nature Directives) – powerful laws that protect habitats and species across the EU. With the help of our supporters, and in concert with hundreds other organisations in the UK and across Europe, we have made the case that these laws work - they are good for wildlife, good for business and good for…

Only a fortnight remains before world leaders will head to Paris for the most important climate change negotiations in several years. These talks will hopefully see the agreement of a new global deal on climate change and will be an opportunity, after the appalling events in the French capital at the weekend, to demonstrate continued support for multilateral cooperation to tackle global problems.

As UK negotiators, our…

It seems like ages ago that the Law Commission consulted on its proposals for reforming wildlife management law.  But then it was back in August 2012!  After considerable deliberation and several postponements the Law Commission’s final report and accompanying Bill was published on Tuesday.

The brief was to consolidate the varied laws that cover the control, exploitation and protection of wildlife species in England…

The Chancellor's announcement on Monday that Defra along with four other departments had agreed their budget settlements took most people by surprise. 48 hours on and no further details have appeared. It seems we shall have to wait for the full Spending Review announcement on 25 November.

What we do know is that planned cuts across the five departments average 30% and it is difficult to conclude anything other than…

While I've been locked in meetings over the past couple of days, two bits of big news have emerged about the state of UK birds and the future state of Defra finances. 

Alas, both trends remain on a downward trajectory.

In this and my next blog, I shall try to get beyond the headlines and explore the implications.

I start with our core interest - what's happening to our birds.

The State of the UK’s Birds report…

I spent two days last week enjoying the West Country weather – one day getting drenched on Dartmoor, the next indoors at a conference at Exeter Racecourse where the going was very soggy.

The purpose of my visit was to help Devon Birds celebrate the completion of the new county bird atlas (edited by Mike Lock and Stella Beavan) - a repeat of the one published in 1988.  Like comparable initiatives it was clearly a…

On Tuesday, I was in the Peak District to contribute to piece for the Today programme on Radio 4 about fracking (here at 8.35).  I argued that, contrary to existing government policy, fracking should be ruled out in SSSIs. 

Hours after the programme was aired, Decc published a consultation about fracking on protected areas and now proposes to rule out fracking wells and other infrastructure at the surface of a wide range…

As Defra ministers explore how to realise their ambition to restore nature in a generation through their 25 year plan, I trust they are thinking about the relative merits of the different tools they have at their disposal to make it easy for people to do the right thing: regulation, incentives, market based instruments and persuasion (resulting in voluntary action).

Money is, of course, tight and the forthcoming Comprehensive…

While I was away with the family last week (enjoying walks in the Peak District, Kent and Cambridgeshire as well as the final stages of the mighty Rugby World Cup), three things caught the eye...

First, the publication of the new global red list of birds (see here) highlighted that 40 more bird species are now classified as having a higher risk of extinction while 23 species of birds have been downgraded to lower threat…

John Lanchbery, RSPB Principle Climate Change Adviser brings us up to date with the latest climate negotiations from Bonn...

In a month from now, World leaders will meet at a UN conference of parties (COP) in Paris. They are set to agree a new global treaty to both combat and adapt to climate change.

It will update and largely replace the old UN climate agreements, agreed in 1992 in Rio and 1997 in Kyoto. But will the…

Tom Lancaster, Senior Land Use Policy Officer, gives us this guest post on the new IUCN Red List. It, sadly, doesn't make good reading...

Grim news always seems to come with grim weather, and the pitiless rain yesterday was somehow a fitting prelude to the news that both the puffin and the turtle dove has been added to the IUCN Red List of species facing the risk of global extinction.

Joining the turtle dove is…

RSPB Chief Executive Mike Clarke has written a guest post on a important step in our campaign to defend the nature directives.

This week marked an important moment in our Defend Nature campaign.

At a meeting of EU Environment Ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, nine countries including France, Germany and Spain, spoke up clearly in support of the EU Nature Directives in a letter to Karmenu Vella, EU Environment Commissioner…

The conservation sector is built on the strength of its dedicated and passionate volunteers.

I’m therefore sad to have to report the loss of one of our most passionate champions for birds of prey. The reflections at the end of this represent just a small fraction of my colleagues who knew and loved Mick. If we’d have included everyone, this would have been a book.

Thank you to Steve Downing from the Northern…

It was good to spend today on the banks of the Thames.  Waders and waterfowl were feeding on the mudflats while crows and magpies mobbed kestrels and short-eared owls on land.  I was there to film a short piece for Channel 4 News on the EU Nature Directives with Stanley Johnson.  We were at the Essex Wildlife Trust site, Thurrock Thameside Nature Park, which is a great place to visit but also tells a story about the power…

This summer, 520,000 European citizens – including over 100,000 from the UK – sent a clear message to the European Commission that they place great value on the laws that protect nature (the EU Nature Directives). By using their voices for nature they have shouted loud and clear that the outcome of the current ‘Fitness Check’ of these laws should be a renewed focus on better implementation and enforcement. They, and a…