The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown MP, announced his draft programme for legislation for 2007/08. It included the Climate Change Bill and Energy Bill. It did not include a Marine Bill. People can send their comments on the draft programme to Leader of the House of Commons.

The UK Government responded to the Environmental Audit Committee’s report on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee published their report on the European Liabilities Directive. The report recommended that the scope of the UK’s implementation be extended to cover nationally important biodiversity.

There was a House of Commons debate on Scientific Advice, Risk and Policy Making, based on the Science and Technology Committee’s report.

The European Mammal Assessment (EMA) is the first comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of mammals at a European level. It was commissioned by the European Commission and carried out by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). There are online fact sheets for each species, including IUCN Red List threat category, range map, ecology information, and other data. Key findings from the Assessment are:

• 15% of Europe’s mammal species are threatened, and a further 9% are close to qualifying for threatened status.
• A higher proportion of marine mammals are threatened than terrestrial mammals (22% versus 14%).
• 27% of European mammals have declining populations. A further 32% are stable, and 33% are of unknown population trend. Only 8% of species populations are increasing. A number of these increases are due to successful species-specific conservation action.

The Office of Science and Innovation have launched a consultation on the updated Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees (SACs). The Code promotes good practice in the relationships between Scientific Advisory Committees and Government and was last revised in December 2001. The OSI would like to update the Code to:

• include lay members and co-opt experts on to SACs
• monitor the implementation of the Code and clarify what SACs need to follow the Code
• reflect changes since it was first published in 2001 (e.g. Freedom of Information Act)

The Government has committed to update the Code by the end of 2007. Updating the Code was recommended by the Science and Technology Select Committee in its report on Scientific Advice.

The consultation closes on 16 September 2007. The BES is responding.

The impacts of climatic changes will hit locally and regionally in different ways. Many adaptation actions will need to be decided at a local, regional and national level. As part of exploring options to improve Europe’s resilience to climate change effects and the European Union role in climate change adaptation the European Commission is undertaking a number of activities.

The European Climate Change Programme working group has published a number of reports the impacts of climate change on biodiversity, marine resources, water cycles and forestry and other areas.

A green paper has been published, Adapting to Climate Change in Europe – options for EU action, and is open for consultation until the end of November. The paper seeks views on what will be the most severe impacts on Europe’s natural environment, what roles Government’s, local authorities, businesses and other should play in adapting to climate change, and which impacts should be a priority for the EU.

Dr Robert Watson has been appointed as Defra’s next Chief Science Adviser. He will start in September 2007. Bob Watson is currently Chief Scientist and Senior Advisor for Sustainable Development at the World Bank. He has been involved in a number of international scientific assessments related to Defra’s work: the IPCC, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the international agricultural assessment. As Chief Science Adviser, he will advise ministers on science issues and build on existing measures to ensure that science and technology are used to inform policy. He will support the UK Government’s scientific work on minimising the effects of climate change and improving sustainability by promoting consistency across Defra and working together with other Government departments.

The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee has published its report on the Draft Climate Change Bill. The main recommendations were:

• The Bill should avoid referring to ‘carbon.’ It should use ‘carbon dioxide’ or carbon dioxide equivalent.’
• The Bill should incorporate targets referring to cumulative emissions.
• The Committee on Climate Change should assess what the 2050 target should be and be empowered by the Bill to propose revising the target.
• The Committee should not be a policy-making or delivery body. It should be an advisory body and should include expertise about the impact of climate change on biodiversity.
• The Committee should be independent of Government and have sufficient resources to carry out its functions.

The 12th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) to the CBD will take place in Paris at the UNESCO headquarters from the 2-6 July 2007. The meeting will review the application of the ecosystem approach, the implementation of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, discuss issues for evaluating progress or supporting implementation of the Convention, such as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, and analyze scientific and technical issues of relevance to the implementation of the 2010 target, such as climate change and the sustainable use of biodiversity. The IISD will be producing daily reports from the meting.