As the RSPB’s Director of Policy & Advocacy, it is my immense pleasure to lead amazing teams of people fighting for nature across the four countries of the UK and beyond. But what does that mean? Who am I? And what is policy and advocacy anyway?

Is the UK Government on track to deliver on its climate change commitments? Do we have a plan to reach net zero emissions and power our country in a cleaner greener way? Last week’s package saw some steps forward, some repackaging of existing commitments and still some significant gaps in the plan.

What happens when three of the UK’s nature conservation NGO behemoths ask the public what we need to do to protect and restore nature?

Effectively implemented Environmental Land Management schemes (ELM) will be a win-win for farming, nature and climate. Applying the brakes on the phase out of direct payments would not facilitate a just transition, but instead leave farmers and nature in limbo, all the while taking the UK off course for meeting its domestic and international environmental commitments. Government should continue to roll out the ELM schemes…

The planning system is one of the most important tools for driving nature’s recovery while also meeting development needs. However, continual changes to the planning system have left it poorly equipped to fulfil this vital purpose.

Wildfires are raging, sea levels are rising, whole communities and ecosystems are in peril. The recent cycle of climate science reports from the IPCC have made it crystal clear: climate change is real, and the window to act is closing. The time for change is now.

Avian Influenza is devastating UK wild bird populations, exacerbating ongoing nature declines across the country. Responses by UK governments are insufficient to protect, restore, and build resilience in our precious wildlife. We call on them to act now.

After the turbulent and costly economic events of last year, as we endure the largest squeeze on our living standards on record and against a backdrop of the climate and nature crises, now is a good time to rethink our economic strategy. There is an emerging consensus that using narrow definitions of economic success such as GDP is flawed. We need to focus on new measures that put nature and wellbeing at the centre of…

In the lead up to the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023's publication, we published a series of blogs on Nature’s Advocates, to highlight some key policies that we hoped would be included. Now that the EIP is out, this blog will look at what we asked for - and what we ended up getting – in some key policy areas.

We are not ready for the warming and extreme weather events we can expect from climate change. The gap between the level of risk we face from climate change in the UK and our readiness to adapt to these risks has widened. With nature at its heart, the third National Adaptation Programme has the potential to be pivotal in helping the UK to adapt to climate change.

Lead is a toxic pollutant, and yet it’s still being spewed into our environment through hunting, sports shooting and fishing activities. Here we’ll bring you up to speed with the latest in the fight across the UK and EU to consign this poison to the history books!

In the UK, we have strong laws that protect us, our wildlife, and businesses. But now, the UK Government’s Retained EU Law Bill (nicknamed the 'Bulldozer Bill') threatens some of these precious and powerful laws, as well as the health of the waters, wildlife and places that rely on them. In leaving the EU we were promised that we would now be free to replace continent-spanning legislation with laws and regulations that…

A recent mid-study report by Dr Andreas Heinemeyer from the University of York into the management of heather moorland suggests that managed burning, cutting and even non-intervention should all be available to land managers giving them a choice of management techniques to use. The report has been widely publicised by the shooting industry, however, its findings are far from conclusive, with the results of the study…

At this year’s Oxford Real Farming Conference we came together with farmers, citizens and wildlife experts to explore how we can change the way we use our land. We looked at the on-farm implications and explored how the best decisions can be supported.

In an increasingly unpredictable world, the environmental sector needs to work with others to look ahead and better understand the drivers of change, including risks or opportunities, that nature and biodiversity will be facing in future.

Chris Skidmore MP has published his widely anticipated Net Zero Review: “Mission Zero”. It offers up a scathing critique of the UK Government’s failures to rise to the climate challenge – but what does it say about nature?

A new ground-breaking study shows the scale of agri-environment scheme provision required at both the farm and landscape-scales, to reverse declines in farmland birds such as starling and skylark.

COP15 led to a landmark agreement for Nature, and while we celebrate the outcome of such a momentous occasion, the hard work has only just started. Implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework will require a step up in engagement and implementation of practices that work for nature, across all of society.

COP15 has concluded and this blog is a roundup from those on the ground on what we got and whether the COP delivered.

The COP15 is a crucial moment, bringing together leaders from across the world to agree a framework to put nature on the road to recovery. But this is not just a task for elected officials – we all have a role to play, whether at home or in the workplace

The dream is that conferences, pledges and reports on biodiversity inclusion in business decisions is no longer needed, as it will be inherently embedded into the system. The pledge is a call to action and the starting point on the journey

Here in Montreal, the most important international environment summit of the decade – COP15 – is in full swing. We are five days in, and it’s certainly been a rollercoaster. We’re here to report out on progress (or lack of) and gear you up for what’s to come.

This it is not a normal CBD COP meeting. In the next two weeks of COP15 a new roadmap to nature recovery will be decided, ultimately looking to repair our relationship with nature. This is the time for action, be part of the solution and understand how your business impacts biodiversity.

“Our world leaders should follow the example of the birds, and these dancers, at COP15, and cooperate to create something beautiful - a plan for the future of nature” Sadeck Waff, choreographer this amazing ‘human murmuration’ video which is part of the Urgent Conversation campaign.

This decade, we need to see business action at a much greater scale than we’ve seen so far on climate, and it must address climate change and biodiversity loss together.